Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior feels his side can still enjoy a 'very, very good season' if they sharpen up on set pieces and their discipline.
Both goals the Blues conceded in a 2-1 loss away to Arsenal on Sunday came via corners.
Chelsea's Pedro Neto reacts after receiving a red card
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Neto joined the lengthy list of Chelsea players to have been sent off this seasonCredit: Getty
Chelsea also finished the contest with ten men as Pedro Neto was sent off in the 70th minute having picked up a second yellow card when he brought down Gunners winger Gabriel Martinelli.
What made Neto's early exit all the more brutal was the fact he was booked just three minutes earlier for what appeared to be dissent.
Neto's red card is the ninth time a Chelsea player has been sent off in all competitions this term and the third in 2026.
Speaking to reporters after the defeat, Rosenior lamented the familiar reasons behind the result.
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Rosenior left frustrated
"Same story, two things," Rosenior said.
"I think anyone watching this game or previous few games, there's two things that we have to improve, which is our discipline, which is our defending set plays and if we do that then we can still have a very, very good season."
It may only provide a small sliver of comfort, but Chelsea are far from alone in falling victim to Arsenal's set pieces.
How good Arsenal are at set pieces
Jurrien Timber's winner marked the 16th time Arsenal had scored from a corner this Premier League season.
No team in Premier League history has netted more from corners in a single term, with Oldham Athletic and West Bromwich Albion scoring the same number during the 1992/93 and 2016/17 campaigns respectively.
But with ten league fixtures still to come, the Gunners are poised to claim the record for themselves.
Chelsea's red cards in the 2025/26 season
September 20: Robert Sanchez sent off vs Manchester United (Premier League)
September 27: Trevoh Chalobah sent off vs Brighton (Premier League)
September 30: Joao Pedro sent off vs Benfica (Champions League)
October 18: Malo Gusto sent off vs Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
October 29: Liam Delap sent off vs Wolves (Carabao Cup)
November 30: Moises Caicedo sent off vs Arsenal (Premier League)
January 7: Marc Cucurella sent off vs Fulham (Premier League)
February 21: Wesley Fofana sent off vs Burnley (Premier League)
March 1: Pedro Neto sent off vs Arsenal (Premier League)
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior looks frustrated
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Chelsea's loss to Arsenal was Rosenior's first Premier League defeat as the Blues bossCredit: Getty
Rosenior was left to lament the fact his side helped contribute to Arsenal's remarkable tally of set pieces converted to goals, especially given how hard he drilled his team knowing the barrage of corners that lay ahead.
With Chelsea three points behind fifth-placed Liverpool in the race for a Champions League spot next term, Rosenior knows time is of the essence to improve on the outlined areas.
'It needs to stop'
"If we don't eradicate the set play issue that we've started to creep into our game and our discipline issues, then for all of the good things that we do in the game, we're not going to get what we want to achieve," Rosenior said.
"It's something that we need to address. There are certain focus, concentration issues that we have to address.
"We worked on set plays all week, believe it or not, and as a manager that makes it even more difficult to swallow because we knew Arsenal, one of their biggest strengths is that. When you work on things and talk about them, sometimes it's the rules of life that ends up happening.
"But it needs to stop because for all of that, I'm tired of coming out.
William Saliba's header helps Arsenal score the opener against Chelsea
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The Gunners had five corners against Chelsea but scored from two of themCredit: Getty
"I think we've had one disappointing performance against Burnley that we should win anyway.
"Leeds were very good, we gift two goals away and to be honest today to come away at Arsenal and perform the way we have done for large parts, dominate the game and give away two goals is just really, really, really disappointing."
Rosenior's side will look to shake off their disciplinary woes on Wednesday as they travel to third-placed Aston Villa.
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The contest could have major ramifications on the Champions League race as Chelsea could move to within three points of Villa with a victory.
However, defeat to Unai Emery's side would leave the Blues nine points adrift of Villa.