Mar 2, 2026, 04:19 PM
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Liam Rosenior said he wants to create a culture of accountability to fix Chelsea's wretched disciplinary record after Pedro Neto apologised for his red card during Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Portugal winger Neto became the seventh Blues player to be sent off in the Premier League this term following quick-fire second-half bookings at Emirates Stadium.
The 70th-minute dismissal of the 25-year-old, who will miss Wednesday evening's trip to Aston Villa through suspension, was Chelsea's ninth in all competitions this term.
"It needs to improve," head coach Rosenior said of the discipline issues.
"My job is to create a culture of accountability, where if you make a mistake it's OK, you hold your hands up and make sure it doesn't happen again.
"But you have to hold your hands up to the original mistake.
"If I make a wrong team selection or I get something wrong, my job is to be accountable, and it's the same for my players in that moment."
Liam Rosenior has won four of his seven Premier League matches as Chelsea manager. Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images
Neto's dismissal came a week after team-mate Wesley Fofana was sent off in a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley.
With 10 games to go, Chelsea are two short of the Premier League record for red cards in a single season.
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Neto talked his way into referee Darren England's notebook as he protested against Jurriën Timber's winning goal in north London before he scythed down Gunners forward Gabriel Martinelli just four minutes later.
"You need team-mates to help but it comes down to yourself as well," Rosenior replied when asked who was responsible for ensuring players remain disciplined on the pitch.
"Pedro has apologised to the group. We miss him for Wednesday [against Villa].
"I just need to see an improvement in the behaviour now. It's not just Pedro.
"People speak about dissent; we've had needless bookings in terms of fouls.
"If we are to improve and get to where we want to be, we have to make a conscious step now to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Chelsea sit bottom of the Premier League fair play table, having finished second bottom last season under Enzo Maresca and bottom the year before during the reign of Mauricio Pochettino.
Asked to elaborate on what can be done to remedy the disciplinary problems, Rosenior, who reflected on the Arsenal loss as a "missed opportunity," said: "Sometimes it's not [using] a stick, it's showing what the value of not having a red card is.
"If you look at our stats when we have 11 men on the pitch, before my job here and after my job here, our percentage chance of winning goes through the roof, so that needs to be motivation in itself to make sure we stay disciplined in key moments.
"Reacting to setbacks -- sometimes a setback is giving the ball away, sometimes a setback is a referee making a decision you disagree with -- in that moment you have to react positively and think of the next thing.
"I can't afford to go through a season every two games or every three games with a red card, it's not possible. I need to adjust my team selection based on who's showing those capabilities."
Cole Palmer is available to feature at Villa Park after suffering a knock against Arsenal, while Marc Cucurella is pushing to return following three games out with a hamstring injury.