Chelsea star to be suspended for FA Cup Q/F if they qualify as he picks up booking for dissent
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez picked up his second yellow card of the FA Cup after dissenting against the referee's decision in the side's ongoing clash against Leeds United.
This means that should the Blues win the game against their Championship opponents, the Argentinian will be suspended for the quarterfinals. He received his first yellow of the tournament in the 3-1 win over Aston Villa for taking his shirt off after scoring a beautiful free-kick.
The incident occurred late in the first half when Trevoh Chalobah received a yellow card for a harsh tackle. Just before the free-kick, the 23-year-old also picked up a booking for dissent.
Chelsea's discipline issues have been well-documented issue throughout the season, with Pochettino's side picking up the most yellow cards out of any team in the Premier League. The notable offenders include Nicolas Jackson (nine), Moises Caicedo (seven) and Fernandez (six). Notably, they also lead the league in most yellow cards for dissent, indicating the lack of experience amongst the squad.
Should the London side manage to win, they will face Championship leaders Leicester City in the quarter-finals. The Foxes beat Bournemouth 1-0 to qualify and will travel to either Stamford Bridge or Elland Road, depending on the result.
Mauricio Pochettino sends message to Chelsea owners after Carabao Cup final loss
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino urged the club's owners to display more patience with him. The Blues suffered a difficult loss to Liverpool in the final of the Carabao Cup, casting more doubt on the Argentine's future with the club.
In a passionate press conference ahead of the side's FA Cup clash against Leeds United, Pochettino said:
“I have good people next to me, the coaching staff. The staff of the club, after eight months we have built a very good bond. When players really believe in the way we are working it takes time. After a few months people are: ‘Too much, oh why this and that’."
“Now the satisfaction of the players is to say: ‘Yes, that is the way.’ The problem is that we need time and patience to win games. And we need the patience from the owner to give the possibility to keep going.”
After a shocking 2022-23 campaign that saw the Blues finish 12th in the Premier League, Pochettino was brought in to replace Frank Lampard, who had taken over in an interim role from Graham Potter.
However, the hiring has not had the desired result as Chelsea find themselves 10th in the league. It remains to be seen if the owners maintain their confidence in Pochettino to turn their fortunes around soon.