Chelsea have made a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign under Enzo Maresca and there could yet be more to come from his impressive side. Amid plenty of questions going into the new term with the Italian taking on the hotseat following Mauricio Pochettino’s departure, the Blues currently sit three points off the top of the Premier League table after achieving three wins from their first five games.
Chelsea delivered an eye-catching display in last Saturday’s 3-0 win away at West Ham and could quite easily have scored more goals on the day. Boasting some excellent options at Stamford Bridge, especially the top quality attacking players available to Maresca, the west London club could possibly be in for a memorable season if they continue to make big strides under the new head coach.
Key to the Blues faring well in the Premier League will be Maresca having his best players available to him on a consistent basis. Although we are only fives games into the season, Chelsea currently have a couple of suspension risks hanging over their head due to Premier League rules.
As ever, players who receive a total of five yellow cards in their first 19 fixtures will be given a one-match suspension. Fourteen Premier League players are currently on three yellow cards from the first five games, with two Chelsea players featuring on the list.
Marc Cucurella is one of those after seeing yellow in the Wolves, Bournemouth and West Ham games. Wesley Fofana is the other player in question after receiving cautions against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and West Ham.
With a further 14 Premier League games to go until we pass the cut-off point for a one-match ban for five yellow cards from the first 19 fixtures, it does seem only a matter of time before both Cucurella and Fofana obtain a ban if their tendency to pick up yellow cards at their current rate continues. Yellow cards in each of the next two games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham would see both miss out on the trip to Liverpool on Sunday, October 20.
Even if they don’t pick up yellows in both the Brighton and Nottingham Forest fixtures, there is still the risk of the duo missing big games over the coming weeks as Chelsea host Newcastle at the end of October before then facing Manchester United and Arsenal in November. The duo are very much walking the disciplinary tightrope so early in the campaign and Maresca will need both to be on their best behaviour going forward as they have already played a key role in Chelsea’s start to the season.