Pundits and fans question if technology “re-reffed” the game after Moises Caicedo’s dismissal.
A major VAR controversy overshadowed a fiery London derby on Sunday, as Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was sent off following a lengthy video review, igniting a debate over whether officials broke an unwritten “golden rule” of the technology.
Referee Anthony Taylor initially showed Caicedo a yellow card for a forceful, late challenge on Arsenal’s Mikel Merino in the first half. However, after being advised to consult the pitchside monitor by the VAR team, Taylor overturned his own decision and produced a red card for serious foul play.
The decision, while arguably correct upon slow-motion review, drew immediate criticism for how it was reached. Former Chelsea and Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, speaking on Sky Sports, suggested the process had unfairly influenced the referee.
“Initially the referee makes a decision to give him a yellow card. And they’ve re-reffed it,” Sturridge said. “When you see it slowed down, it looks nasty… it makes the referee’s mind up for him. When you go to the screen and see that slowed down, that’s a red.”
His comments echoed the concern of co-commentator Alan Smith, who had earlier emphasized the importance of reviewing the challenge at full speed to judge its true nature.
Despite playing with ten men for most of the match, Chelsea showed resilience and took the lead through a clever header from Trevoh Chalobah. Arsenal fought back, however, with Merino—the player involved in the red-card incident—powering in a header to level the score.
The match remained tense and fractious after the sending-off, with Chelsea’s Piero Hincapie perhaps fortunate to avoid a second red card for the Blues after an aerial clash, and numerous other bookings issued by Taylor.
While the Premier League’s official match centre stated the red was issued for “a challenge with excessive force,” the aftermath focused less on the outcome and more on the process, leaving many to question if VAR intervened appropriately or crossed the line into re-officiating the game.
Similar Posts:
- Arteta Accuses Chelsea of “Targeting” Arsenal’s Booked Players in Tense Draw
- Referee Rob Jones Under Fire After Controversial Moments in Man United and Chelsea’s 1-1 Draw
- Controversial Referee Anthony Taylor Appointed for Chelsea vs Arsenal Clash
- Controversy and Late Drama as Chelsea Draws 2-2 with Bournemouth
- Ten-Man Chelsea Show Grit in Statement Draw With Arsenal
