Chelsea’s heated draw against a 10-man Nottingham Forest dealt a double whammy for Blues boss Enzo Maresca.

Two of his key players are now out of action for their daunting visit to Premier League leaders Liverpool after the international break. Despite only participating in seven league games, feisty Chelsea have already had two of their squad members accumulate five yellow cards.

A single-match suspension is the penalty for amassing five yellows up to and including matchweek 19. Both Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella were on thin ice heading into the Forest face-off.

They seemed set for a clean getaway with 78 minutes already ticked off and no warnings. However, Cucurella found himself at the heart of a full-blown brawl with the game hanging in the balance after Forest star James Ward-Prowse had already been dismissed for two yellow cards.

The Spanish fullback was pushed into his own manager Maresca by opponent Neco Williams and fellow Chelsea defender Levi Colwill led the protests, storming over to the sideline to confront Williams, which sparked a large group of players and coaches to join the fracas, reports the Express.

Cucurella was baffled when he stood up to find that referee Chris Kavanagh had flashed a yellow card, despite him being on the receiving end of a push from Williams. The Welsh fullback and Colwill also received bookings, sealing Cucurella’s suspension.

Not long after, Fofana got slapped with a yellow for dragging down substitute Jota Silva as he dashed past the Chelsea backline. The French defender’s tactical trip landed him in hot water and now Chelsea’s gaffer is left to scratch his head over a tough pickle before they travel to Anfield.

Chelsea’s number one, Robert Sanchez, literally saved the day with last-minute heroics between the sticks. And he discussed plans to get the team talking about steering clear of silly fouls in future encounters.

A couple of players are going to miss games because of it, but we need to speak about it in the changing room,” insisted Sanchez. “We deserved more and created chances but we didn’t score the goal to get the points.”

He added: “Massive players but it was unlucky. They need to stop talking to the officials. We have some very good players to come in.”

Maresca – whose team will now face a £25,000 fine for their card-happy conduct – said: “I said many times it is something we need to improve. I like the team the way they are fighting and become a team.”

Sami Hyypia says there he feels no bitterness over losing his Liverpool captaincy to Steven Gerrard.

The Anfield legend insists he was “very happy” with the bold decision in the long-run.

Hyypia, who celebrates his 51st birthday today, had a hugely successful ten years at Liverpool from 1999 to 2009. In 2002, at-the-time Reds manager Gerard Houllier recognised Hyypia’s leadership qualities, rewarding his superb defensive prowess with the captain’s armband.

But just a year later, the Finnish centre-back had the armband removed from him in favour of then-23-year-old local lad Gerrard. Gerrard would etch his name in Liverpool history by becoming one of the club’s greatest ever captains, famously inspiring the team to a miraculous Champions League victory in Istanbul in 2005.

Hyypia, who was a boyhood fan and joined from Dutch side Willem II, admits his performances benefitted from losing the captaincy. And the former Finland international was even “happy” that Gerrard was able to reach another gear as a result of the decision.

He told the Echo in 2022: “Coming from Finland and being the Liverpool captain is a great honour. I still remember the day I lost the captaincy to Stevie and I am very happy that happened.

“I knew it meant a lot to Stevie and he grew up as a man and a player so much after that. For myself, I started to play better when I lost the captaincy. It worked both ways.

Sami Hyypia says there he feels no bitterness over losing his Liverpool captaincy to Steven Gerrard. The Anfield legend insists he was “very happy” with the bold decision in the long-run.

Hyypia, who celebrates his 51st birthday today, had a hugely successful ten years at Liverpool from 1999 to 2009. In 2002, at-the-time Reds manager Gerard Houllier recognised Hyypia’s leadership qualities, rewarding his superb defensive prowess with the captain’s armband.

But just a year later, the Finnish centre-back had the armband removed from him in favour of then-23-year-old local lad Gerrard. Gerrard would etch his name in Liverpool history by becoming one of the club’s greatest ever captains, famously inspiring the team to a miraculous Champions League victory in Istanbul in 2005.

Hyypia, who was a boyhood fan and joined from Dutch side Willem II, admits his performances benefitted from losing the captaincy. And the former Finland international was even “happy” that Gerrard was able to reach another gear as a result of the decision.

He told the Echo in 2022: “Coming from Finland and being the Liverpool captain is a great honour. I still remember the day I lost the captaincy to Stevie and I am very happy that happened.

“I knew it meant a lot to Stevie and he grew up as a man and a player so much after that. For myself, I started to play better when I lost the captaincy. It worked both ways.

“It may have even made our relationship even deeper as he saw I was okay with the manager’s decision and took it as a professional and a man. I think he [Gerrard] respected me more after that. I wanted to help Stevie and if he had a problem, I was always there.”

Hyypia racked up an impressive 318 appearances for Liverpool before making his move to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2009. His list of silverware with the Reds is nothing short of remarkable, boasting two FA Cups, two League Cups, two Community Shields, the aforementioned Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

After hanging up his boots in 2011, the Reds hero began managing Leverkusen, who are now led by his former team-mate Xabi Alonso. A short stint at Brighton followed before he took charge of FC Zurich for the 2015/16 season.

Real Madrid’s recent loss to Lille was a tough setback for the team. The match revealed a clear lack of creativity in Real Madrid’s gameplay, and the absence of star player Kylian Mbappe from the start made matters worse.

This defeat highlighted some issues that extended beyond just the team’s performance on the field. Meanwhile, an interesting aspect of the match that has caught attention involves the actions of the ball boys at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

As captured by the cameras Movistar Plus+, these young helpers appeared to play a significant role in the outcome of the game.

During the closing moments, they seemed to be intentionally delaying the game, which was frustrating for Real Madrid players, particularly Dani Carvajal.

The ball boys’ tactics to waste time inadvertently made them a sort of extra player for the French side, helping Lille maintain their slender 1-0 advantage.

Carvajal was annoyed
As the game progressed a particularly tense moment occurred when Carvajal pushed the ball boy, who was reluctant to return the ball quickly.

This incident exemplified the mounting pressure felt by Real Madrid as they sought to equalize. Commentary during the broadcast reflected on Carvajal’s struggle, noting his visible frustration with the ball boys for not efficiently doing their job.

Their delays slowed down the pace of play and disrupted Real Madrid’s attempts to gain momentum and create scoring opportunities.

“Carjaval had a tough time with the ball boys in the final minutes of the match,” the commentator said.

Time-wasting tactics, especially in the closing minutes of a match, are a common strategy employed by teams looking to protect a lead.

However, such tactics can leave the opposing team feeling aggrieved and frustrated. For Real Madrid, this match was not just about the scoreline; it was a reminder of the small but significant factors that can influence a game.