CHELSEA boss Enzo Maresca slammed Malo Gusto’s “useless” red card — but praised the defender for the attitude that led to it.
Gusto’s second yellow card in the dying minutes of the 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest made it five dismissals for the Blues in their last six games.
The Frenchman dived in on Forest’s Neco Williams as he attempted to launch a counter attack in the 87th minute.
The slide was horrendously mistimed, with Gusto’s outstretched leg falling short of the ball completely before clattering the Welsh fullback.
His manager did not mince his words when describing the 22-year-old’s decision to dive in at that stage of the game.
Maresca, exiled from the dugout after his own sending off against Liverpool, said: “We can avoid that, yes, for sure we can avoid that.
“But also the players’ desire is important.
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“Malo can avoid that, because it’s useless to make a second foul.
“But Malo is showing that he doesn’t want to concede nothing.
“They don’t want to concede a goal, they are playing for a clean sheet.
“It’s a balance but we can avoid that, for sure.”
Chelsea were in little danger of suffering a comeback, as they sat on a comfortable 3-0 lead.
Goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto, and Reece James sent the Blues up to sixth in the Premier League table.
And the sending off was of little consolation to Forest boss Ange Postecoglou as well.
The Aussie was abruptly sacked 19 minutes after the end of the game, and just 39 days after he was hired at the City Ground.
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