Premier League legend warns Chelsea ace that he will be targeted by opponents

Alan Shearer warns Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly about teams targeting him

Speaking in the BBC Match of the Day 2 show (h/t Football.London), Premier League legend Alan Shearer warns Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly about English teams targeting him if he doesn’t improve his disciplinary record sooner rather than later.

Koulibaly was sent off after getting two yellow cards in the game against Leeds United. He received the first of those yellows in the ninth minute when Brendan Aaronson got his shirt pulled by him because he was beaten by a piece of trickery by the American.

The Senegal international did tread a tight rope since then and made some not-so-good decisions at the back. Eventually, with Chelsea chasing the game at 3-0 down and only a few minutes remaining, the 31-year-old blatantly hauled down Joel Gelhardt when the Leeds youngster was through on goal.

Speaking about Koulibaly and teams potentially targeting him, here’s what Shearer warned the defender to be careful.

He’s going to have to be careful, he is that type of player. You [Mark Chapman] have just read out that stat since 2017 [the player to receive the most red cards in the top 6 European Leagues].

He’s going to have to look at that side of the game or teams will target him.

Because it was two yellows making it a red card, Koulibaly is set to miss only one game. Chelsea play Leicester City next at Stamford Bridge. Jamie Vardy and co. would look to make the most of the former Napoli man’s absence by making runs in behind the defence.

For Koulibaly, the stat of getting the most red cards amongst the players of top leagues in the last five years is not good reading. He does tend to make some basic errors even when playing a fantastic game.

Manager Thomas Tuchel will certainly talk to the player and remind him to eradicate silly mistakes. The 2022 AFCON winner is a tremendous centre-back, but no one is safe in the Premier League if they show any chink in the armour.

More Chelsea News:

• West Ham United agree fee to sign Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri
• Thomas Tuchel hints at Chelsea opting against signing a new midfielder this summer
• Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was not overly critical of Edouard Mendy’s mistake against Leeds United

So, controlling the disciplinary side of Koulibaly’s game would be of paramount importance not just for him but for the team as well. His next game would be a trip to Southampton on 30th August.