August: 1
September: 2
October: 1
November: 1
December: 7
January: 3
February: 0
March: 0
April: 3
May: 0
Even in the game immediately after Villa – a 2-0 victory against Tottenham which resumed a rivalry on the anniversary of the Battle of the Bridge – they did not pick up a single booking. In the 5-0 win over West Ham, only Marc Cucurella was carded for killing a counter.
It is a stark improvement from the dissent-dominated nature of the first half of the campaign.
And yet, Chelsea find themselves closing in on an unwanted Premier League record after the damage that was largely done earlier in the season. With three games to go, they are sitting on 98 yellow cards, only three shy of equalling the total of 101 set by Leeds in 2021-22.
Pochettino’s players will need to be on their best behaviour to avoid becoming the new champions of cautions, starting with Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
It will not be easy, at a time when emotions are running high with Chelsea fighting for European football, but Pochettino will feel the maturity shown in the second half of the season bodes well for the future.
1992-93 - Sheffield United (58)
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