April 27th 2024.
In an intense match against Aston Villa on Saturday, the Chelsea Blues were left disappointed as they were denied a late winner by the referee's controversial decision. Manager Mauricio Pochettino expressed his frustration and criticized the call, stating that it has damaged the image of English football.
The game started off on a rocky note for Chelsea, with an own goal by Marc Cucurella just four minutes in and a second goal by Morgan Rodgers right before halftime. The Blues seemed lethargic and out of sync, but they came back with a vengeance in the second half. Noni Madueke scored a goal to get them on the board, and captain Conor Gallagher stunned everyone with a stunning long-range goal with his weaker left foot to tie the game.
As the clock ticked down, it seemed like Chelsea would secure a victory when Cole Palmer had a clear shot at the goal, but substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen made a miraculous save. However, the Chelsea fans erupted in celebration moments later when Axel Disasi scored a late header off the underside of the crossbar. But their joy was short-lived as the goal was disallowed due to a foul from Benoit Badiashile in the build-up.
The decision was made after VAR Chris Kavanagh reviewed the footage and referee Craig Pawson was sent to the pitch-side monitor. Pochettino and the Chelsea players were left baffled and disappointed, as they felt the nudge from Badiashile on Diego Carlos was not enough to rule out the goal. Pochettino called the decision "ridiculous" and stated that it was difficult to accept such a call.
In an interview with TNT Sports after the match, Pochettino expressed his frustration and disappointment with the referee's decision. He believed that if the referee had already called a foul and disallowed the goal, it would have been acceptable. But to change the decision after the referee had already waved play on, was unacceptable.
Pochettino also referenced a similar incident in the FA Cup semi-final where a handball was not called and the VAR did not intervene. He felt that these type of decisions are damaging the game and the image of English football. When asked if the referee gave any explanation, Pochettino replied that he was told it was a foul, but he did not agree with the call. He also expressed concern that if every challenge like this was going to be called a foul, the game would not be able to continue with a full team.
Despite his obvious frustration, Pochettino maintained his composure and stated that he would not say anything negative about the referee or the VAR. He ended the interview by saying that he was calm and not frustrated, but he believed that this type of decision was damaging the game.
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