LONDON, March 1 : Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior questioned his team’s decision-making after they conceded twice from Arsenal’s favourite routine and had a player sent off in a 2-1 defeat in the Premier League on Sunday.
Rosenior had enjoyed a generally positive start since replacing Enzo Maresca and this was his first defeat in seven league games but some recurring issues again undermined Chelsea’s top-five push.
Both Arsenal’s goals – scored by William Saliba and Jurrien Timber – came from the sort of corner routines that Chelsea would have been planning for all week.
On top of that they had Pedro Neto sent off after he received two yellow cards, one for dissent and one for a foul, in three crazy minutes after Timber’s 65th-minute goal.
In fact, Chelsea were arguably the better team, but Rosenior was left to rue the way they caused their own problems for the second successive week after Wesley Fofana was sent off in the 1-1 draw with struggling Burnley last week.
“I felt as a group, including me, we learned our lesson last week. To concede two goals from set plays, which ultimately has cost us the game, is really disappointing,” Rosenior said.
“Then to have another red card, again, really disappointed. It’s not just Pedro. I think as a group, me as the leader as well, we have to take more accountability for some of the decision-making we’re having in terms of our discipline and in terms of the goals we concede.
“Some of them are just not acceptable at this level.”
Chelsea equalised through a Piero Hincapie own goal and even with 10 men they came close to earning a point at the league leaders.
But defeat leaves them in sixth place and needing victories to get their top-five hopes back on track.
Chelsea have now had seven players red-carded in the league this season and Rosenior admits discipline is a problem.
“We need to do something, for sure. I need to speak to the coaching staff, the staff around the club, the players, because it’s not acceptable,” he said. “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.”
