Chelsea fans are sick of idiotic self-sabotage derailing their season after a NINTH red card proved costly again at Arsenal - no wonder expletives rained on Pedro Neto, writes KIERAN GILL

We could call Chelsea the self-saboteurs of the Premier League, but then their own fans would tell you that description is too kind, having told Pedro Neto precisely their thoughts as he endured his walk of shame at the Emirates Stadium.

Having already been booked for complaining after Arsenal’s second goal from a corner, Neto lunged in on Gabriel Martinelli by the touchline.

It killed a counter-attack and was, of course, worthy of another caution. That dismissal left Chelsea down to 10 men, and Netowas was trodding the perimeter of the pitch to get to the tunnel on the other side. That path took him directly in front of the away end and, according to Chelsea-supporting friends in there, it was far from pretty.

The boos poured down on Neto and more than a few expletives, the fans having long lost patience with their own players for indulging in idiocy. If anything, the 25-year-old Portuguese can be thankful they were not packing rotten vegetables for throwing.

Neto represented the ninth red card that Chelsea has received in all competitions this season. At this stage, it might be quicker to name who has not been dismissed, because all nine of those reds have been shown to different players as if they are trying to create an XI, and a club-record seven have come in the Premier League.

Neto will now miss Wednesday’s visit to Aston Villa at a time when Liam Rosenior is already without other wingers in Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian.

Rumours circulated after full-time that he did not realise he had already been booked for dissent, but a photograph via Getty Images showed him seeing the referee show his first yellow to him.

What we can say is that there could be no blaming this one on the folly of youth.

Neto is supposed to be one of Chelsea’s more experienced members of this squad. As is Wesley Fofana, whose second yellow versus Burnley in their previous outing was equally as costly as they torched two points from a winning position.

It is not only the reds, however. It is the yellows, too. Enzo Fernandez was booked for throwing the ball to the ground in anger here at the Emirates, for example.

That means he is now on seven yellows for the season, and if he reaches 10, he will find himself missing two matches. Moises Caicedo is already on eight and staring at the same suspension when Chelsea are in a tense Champions League chase.

Daily Mail Sport asked Rosenior a few days ago why Chelsea has covered the least distance of any club in the Premier League this season.