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Liam Rosenior has admitted Chelsea "need to do something" about their "deep-lying" disciplinary problems after Pedro Neto was sent off in Sunday's 2-1 defeat atArsenal.
Neto's 70th-minute dismissal is Chelsea's 10th red card of the season across all competitions, including one for former boss Enzo Maresca, and helped tip a tight game at Emirates Stadium in the hosts' favour.
William Saliba's 21st-minute opener was cancelled out by Piero Hincapié's own goal in first-half stoppage-time before Jurriën Timber's 66th-minute header restored Arsenal's lead. Neto was booked for dissent in response to Timber's goal and sent off four minutes later for a lunge on Gabriel Martinelli as Arsenal launched a counter-attack.
Chelsea dropped two points last weekend as Wesley Fofana was sent off before Burnley equalised in stoppage-time to earn a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge and Rosenior said: "We need to do something [about our discipline], for sure. I need to speak to the coaching staff, the staff around the club, the players, because it's not acceptable.
Pedro Neto's red card against Arsenal was Chelsea's 10th this season in all competitions. Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
"Especially the last two games, we've caused our own issues, even here against a very good team. You can see there's a lot of good in our play. There's a lot of good technically, tactically, the quality of our play. But if we don't eradicate this, it's going to be the thing that costs us."
Pushed on whether he could implement a fines system, Rosenior continued: "You can fine players. It's not about the punishment. It's about finding the reason why. I don't think Pedro Neto today or Wes Fofana last week would have in that moment been thinking about, if I get a red card, I'm going to get fined.
"It's a focus and a concentration thing that we need to get right. I know the record of the club is not great from the start of the season, and now it's getting bad. We had 10 games when I was in where we didn't have these issues, but we've had two in two games. There's something deep-lying that we need to get to the bottom of."
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All three goals came from corners and Rosenior seemed dismayed when Timber's goal was allowed to stand in a game which featured grappling and holding from corners by both teams.
Asked if the way set-pieces were officiated needed changing, Rosenior replied: "Yes, because there's a rule. There's a rule that says it can't be a foul if the ball's not in play yet.
"So there's a lot of holding and grappling that goes on before the ball's actually delivered. And I think that needs to be looked at, because holding is holding.
"But I don't want to be bitter. We need to deal with it better. We just need to deal with it better as well. But I think it is something that's coming in. Set plays are massively important in this league, and in every league. But it's something that's coming in more and more, and I think it's something that should be looked at."