Chelsea have now received three red cards in three straight matches, and their latest came from João Pedro. He was sent off in stoppage time for a high boot after picking up a second yellow card. What makes it worse is that João Pedro came on in the 61st minute, yet still managed to collect two yellow cards in a short time. His red card left Chelsea finishing the game with ten men again, something that has become a worrying pattern for the team.
Because of the red card, João Pedro will now miss Chelsea’s next Champions League match. His sending off adds to the growing discipline problems at the club. Three red cards in three matches show a clear lack of control and focus among the players.
The trouble started with Robert Sánchez, who was shown a straight red card during the Premier League match against Manchester United. He fouled Bryan Mbeumo, who was through on goal, and was sent off. That decision forced Chelsea’s coach to make emergency substitutions, which weakened the team and contributed to their defeat.
In the next league game against Brighton, Trevoh Chalobah was also sent off, leaving Chelsea in trouble once again. Now João Pedro has repeated the same mistake. Getting sent off as a substitute, especially in the closing minutes of the game, is careless and unnecessary.
This run of red cards shows that Chelsea have a serious discipline problem. For a team that has spent over €300 million on players, such mistakes are costly. Red cards lead to suspensions, force tactical changes, and give opponents an advantage.
In the Benfica vs Chelsea Champions League game — which marked José Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge as Benfica’s coach — Chelsea managed to win 1–0. The only goal came from an own goal by Richard Ríos, who deflected Alejandro Garnacho’s cross into his own net.
Even though Chelsea won the match, João Pedro’s red card took attention away from the result. If Chelsea want to compete seriously this season, they must quickly fix their discipline issues. Constant red cards not only affect matches but can also disrupt the team in the long run.