football.london reviews the big decision by Anthony Taylor and his VAR team in the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as Moises Caicedo is sent off
Despite facing ten-man Chelsea, Arsenal were unable to score a second goal on the day to claim all three points. In the end, the spoils were shared with both managers having a sense of missed opportunity.
The game was dominated by cards of both colours as Anthony Taylor strained to keep control of the game and the question of whether he did so successfully is in the spotlight here. A red card for Moises Caicedo and a goal that has come into an ever-increasingly familiar question of: “Was someone interfering with play?”
football.london therefore provides it’s take on the red card and the goal and whether we think it was fair to have stood. As well as a general overview of Taylor’s officiating on the day.
Moises Caicedo red card
In what was already proving to be a frenetic game, before the half-time break the ball breaks loose and both Mikel Merino and Caicedo, who had already come head-to-head in a challenge earlier in the half, and the pair go in for the 50-50.
Where Merino gets the ball, Caicedo gets none of it. Studs coming down with force just above the ankle of the Spaniard. Nasty challenge that left both players down in pain before Taylor issued the Ecuador international a yellow card.
VAR reviewed the decision and asked Taylor to come to the screen. After a few looks, he agreed with the recommendation of an upgrade and sent off the midfielder.
FL review – To me, this is one of the worst officiating errors of the season so far. This challenge ticks every box for a red card.
It’s high, it’s late, it’s with force, the studs are showing, and it’s clear contact. How Taylor has decided this is only a yellow is beyond me, and I must give the benefit of the doubt to assume he was somehow obscured from seeing the challenge.
The pain for Arsenal is that they did not take advantage of their extra man. For Chelsea, losing Caicedo for three games, Leeds United (A), Bournemouth (A) and Everton (H), will come as a real blow.
FL verdict – Incorrect decision, should have been a red card on-field. Correct VAR intervention.
To interfere, or not to interfere, that is the question!
How many times this season are we going to end up discussing whether a player has interfered with play in an offside position? Corner kick comes in, Trevor Chalobah gets the perfect flick, and the ball nestles in the side netting on the far side, great header.
However, some have argued that Enzo Fernandez, who is standing in an offside position, interferes with play by attempting to play the ball, putting off Cristhian Mosquera.
FL review – For me, I don’t want to see goals ruled out for this, just like I don’t think Virgil van Dijk’s goal should have been ruled out at Manchester City. One was, this one wasn’t, and I guess this is where the inconsistency lies.
Both Andrew Robertson and Enzo make movements in relation to the ball; the former ducks, the latter tries to meet the ball. The former sees the goal ruled out, the latter does not.
The difference is that Enzo is not in the line of sight of David Raya, whereas it is claimed that Robertson is in the case of Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, some argue that Enzo’s movement prevents Mosquera from being able to clear the ball.
Mosquera has his hands around Enzo, but makes little aerial challenge for the ball. I think that this is a mistake on the Spaniard’s part more than Enzo affecting his ability to challenge for the ball. I get to a degree why some people have made the argument, but I don’t think a goal of this ilk should be ruled out.
FL verdict – Goal given, correct decision.
Anthony Taylor: “It’s all about you!”
Well, this was the chant that the Arsenal fans sang after just five minutes when he decided to book Martin Zubimendi for a cynical foul. Yet just three minutes in, Marc Cucurella clattered Bukayo Saka on a turn, which he would have been free and clear to attack the Chelsea defence and got no booking.
He was later booked in the game but was not efficiently tested by Saka, which is regretful. Enzo Fernandez somehow escaped two bookings, one for catching Mosquera late in the face, and a second for kicking Noni Madueke to the ground with a late challenge.
Four of the Gunners’ back five, including Zubimendi, received bookings, and Myles Lewis-Skelly was booked for his first foul, while a cynical one, nine minutes after coming on. It just seemed that Taylor didn’t appreciate the heat of the game from the off, and there were far too many inconsistencies between decisions overall.
