Manager Moises Caicedo was sacked before half-time in Chelsea’s awkward game against London rivals Arsenal, with manager Enzo Maresca expressing his displeasure with the decision.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was sent off against Arsenal and VAR may have been one of the main reasons why the midfielder was shown a red card, as he had to watch out for a tackle with “excessive force”. The Ecuadorian didn’t even last in the first half and was sent off in the 38th minute of Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
The decision came after the Chelsea man made a particularly tough challenge on Mikel Merino. Some of the small details that VAR personnel are trained to look out for may have motivated the intervention.
According to the BBC, officials noted the way Merino’s ankle bent during the challenge and concluded it showed excessive force by the Chelsea midfielder. Contact information is also taken into account.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher gave his opinion on the challenge, suggesting the red card was the right decision. he said: “If you look at the tackle, it’s terrible.
“This is a red card. All I can think is that Anthony didn’t see the point of contact. VAR did him a huge favor because they alerted him to take a look. He only saw it once and was given a red card.”
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Former Premier League forward Jay Bothroyd added: “This challenge is a red card challenge. It was aggressive but I don’t think he was trying to hurt Merino. I think it was more reckless or clumsy. Anthony Taylor played with an advantage. He didn’t take that into account and thought he deserved a yellow card.”
Enzo Maresca made clear his dissatisfaction with Caicedo’s red card. Surprisingly, he believed his sacking was correct, but claimed his reds had shown a lack of consistency after seeing Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur remain on the pitch against Chelsea for a similar challenge earlier this season.
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Speaking at the post-match press conference, Maresca said: “As I said, I was asked about Moises’ red card. It’s a red card, but when Spurs were away, why wasn’t there a red card for Bentancur against Leith?”
“So, as coaches, we have a hard time understanding why they would take a different decision. Moises gets a red card, yes. Bentancur gets a red card, too. Why don’t they give him a red card? That’s the only thing we have trouble understanding. The reality is that it’s a red card. But why would they take a different decision?”
Caicedo will be suspended for the next three games after receiving the red card. This means he will miss the upcoming games against Leeds, Bournemouth and Everton. Chelsea currently sit in third place in the Premier League table, six points behind current leaders Arsenal.
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