Liam Rosenior will have left Villa Park delighted with Chelsea’s performance on the pitch, but still concerned that their discipline could be their undoing this season.
The Blues ran out comfortable 4-1 winners against their Champions League rivals Aston Villa, with plenty of credit going the way of Joao Pedro for his memorable hat-trick.
His second was the pick of the goals, producing a daint chip after being found in behind by Enzo Fernandez just before half-time.
Joao Pedro scores a perfect 10, but how would you rate his teammates?
Chelsea player ratings vs Aston Villa
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Enzo Fernandez ignores Liam Rosenior’s cry for discipline with stupid yellow card vs Aston Villa
The World Cup winner enjoyed a far more impactful role in proceedings operating back in the number 10 role, however still really let his manager down with his booking in the 58th minute.
Fernandez was cautioned for dissent, sarcastically applauding the referee for actually giving a free-kick to Chelsea. Completely avoidable.
Aston Villa v Chelsea - Premier League
Photo by Ian Cook – CameraSport via Getty Images
This comes just days after Rosenior’s passionate rant about the discipline in the Chelsea squad, and how it is going to cost them in the long run when it comes to their ambitions for the season.
The Blues have nine red cards in all competitions this season, costing them some key players for big games due to suspension. Pedro Neto was missing last night against Villa.
Fernandez is walking a personal tightrope now too. He has eight yellow cards this season, and two more in the next three league games will see him suspended for two games at a crucial time of the season.
BARGAIN: How much is Joao Pedro worth now? 🔥
Chelsea paid £60m last summer.
Moises Caicedo is also in this predicament, leaving Chelsea with both of their first-choice midfielders having to watch themselves across the upcoming fixtures.
Rosenior is absolutely spot on when it comes to his comments regarding discipline. The Blues are making life much harder for themselves by not keeping 11 players on the pitch.
Speculation that the Chelsea players will not allow their ego to be coached by the inexperienced manager has been off the mark, however they need to put an end to this trend which has lingered around Stamford Bridge since way before the Englishman took over.
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