Terrible for Chelsea as Chelsea have been dealt a significant setback as four key players will miss the upcoming clash against Liverpool due to suspensions following a mass brawl.
Chelsea will head to Liverpool without two of their key players and are also facing a £25,000 fine.
Chelsea’s frustrating 1-1 draw against 10-man Nottingham Forest dealt a further setback to Enzo Maresca, as two key players are now suspended for their upcoming match against Liverpool after the international break.
Despite having played only seven Premier League games, Chelsea’s aggressive style has led to two players accumulating five yellow cards each, triggering a one-match suspension before matchweek 19.
Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella were both close to avoiding any bookings in the Forest game, but with 78 minutes gone, their luck ran out.
Cucurella found himself at the center of a mass brawl while the match was still tightly contested, following James Ward-Prowse’s red card for two yellow cards.
The Spanish defender was pushed into Maresca by Neco Williams, prompting Levi Colwill to rush to the sidelines to confront Williams, which escalated into a scuffle involving numerous players and coaches.
Cucurella was taken aback when he stood up to see referee Chris Kavanagh issuing him a yellow card, despite being the one who had been shoved by Williams. Both Williams and Colwill received yellow cards as well, leading to Cucurella’s suspension being confirmed.
Just moments later, Fofana also received a yellow card for fouling substitute Jota Silva as he attempted to break away from the Chelsea defense, prompting the Frenchman to bring down the Portuguese player.
A yellow card was quickly issued, leaving Maresca not only without the expected three points at home against Forest but also facing a significant challenge as Chelsea prepares for their next match at Anfield.
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez kept Chelsea in contention during the final moments of the game with a series of impressive saves, but he emphasized that the players need to have a discussion to minimize unnecessary fouls moving forward.
“A few players will miss games because of this, but we need to address it in the locker room,” Sanchez stated. “We deserved more and created chances, but we couldn’t score the goal needed to secure the points.
“We have some key players who are out, but it was just bad luck. They need to stop engaging with the officials. We have some very talented players who can step in.”
