Chelsea has been handed a £25,000 fine following the conduct of their players during their 1-0 Premier League victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, September 14.
The match made headlines due to an extraordinary 14 yellow cards being issued, setting a new Premier League record for the most bookings in a single game. This prompted the Football Association (FA) to take disciplinary action.
Referee Anthony Taylor had a busy afternoon at the Vitality Stadium, where the game was characterized by its physicality.
A total of 25 fouls were committed by both teams, and several players and even the managers received bookings.
Chelsea, in particular, were fined because eight of their players were cautioned during the match.
Under Premier League rules, teams are subject to disciplinary actions if six or more players are booked in one game.
Journalist Kieran Gill reported that the Chelsea players who were shown yellow cards include Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Renato Veiga, Nicolas Jackson, Joao Felix, and Jadon Sancho.
The club now holds the unfortunate record for the most bookings in the 2023-24 Premier League season.
Notably, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, and Nicolas Jackson are all just three yellow cards away from a one-match suspension, having picked up their second bookings of the season during this match.
Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, and Bournemouth’s head coach, Andoni Iraola, also found themselves on the receiving end of yellow cards.
Maresca is now dangerously close to a one-game touchline ban, needing only one more booking to be suspended.
Bournemouth will face a similar financial penalty, as six of their players were also cautioned during the match.
This game broke the previous Premier League record of 13 yellow cards in a single match, which was set last season in a game between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United.
Despite the disciplinary issues, Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, was named Star of the Match by his club for his heroic performance in the win over Bournemouth.
Sanchez played a pivotal role in helping Chelsea secure the victory, making several critical saves throughout the match.
Recalled to the Spanish national team after more than a year’s absence, Sanchez was thrust into the spotlight early in the game when he conceded a penalty.
However, he redeemed himself by saving the penalty kick from Bournemouth’s Evanilson, keeping Chelsea in contention.
By the end of the game, Sanchez had made a total of seven saves, five of which were from shots inside the penalty area.
His excellent display earned him his first clean sheet of the Premier League season.
While Jadon Sancho was named Man of the Match by the Premier League for his overall contribution, Chelsea gave their internal Star of the Match award to Sanchez in recognition of his standout performance in goal.
The match, despite Chelsea’s victory, will be remembered for the unprecedented number of yellow cards and the subsequent fines issued to both clubs.
Chelsea’s players will need to be cautious in future matches, as further disciplinary actions could result in suspensions, especially for those who are close to the yellow card limit.
The intensity and physical nature of the match underscored the challenges both teams faced, but for Chelsea, it also highlighted their need to improve discipline on the field moving forward.
