VAR was at the focus of the conversation once again in another fantastic weekend of Premier League football, with unpunished hard tackles and contentious penalty calls at the forefront.
Chelsea and Manchester City’s dramatic 4-4 tie at Stamford Bridge began with a contentious penalty awarded to Marc Cucurella for a foul on Erling Haaland.
Meanwhile, Wataru Endo of Liverpool was not shown a red card for a high challenge on Brentford captain Christian Norgaard, while Mahmoud Dahoud of Brighton was sent out for a stamp in the Seagulls’ 1-1 draw with Sheffield United.
Sports pundit Micah Richards said “It’s soft and the Chelsea fans will feel aggrieved, but it’s not a clear and obvious mistake. When Cucurella initially puts his arm on Haaland, that is fine. But it just carries on. And because it was given on field, I don’t think it’s a clear and obvious mistake. VAR has to then give the penalty.”
After his team was held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi claimed he dislikes “80% of English referees.” When Mahmoud Dahoud was sent out for an unintentional stamp on Blades midfielder Ben Osborn, the Seagulls were leading 1-0.
Five minutes later, United equalized, and De Zerbi was cautioned by referee John Brooks for his touchline demeanor.
De Zerbi stated that the decision to send Dahoud off was correct under the rules, but he had a broader issue regarding VAR refereeing standards owing to officials’ “behavior.”
“I am honest and clear. I don’t like 80 percent of England’s referees,” said De Zerbi after the game.
“It’s not a new thing. I don’t like them. I don’t like their behavior on the pitch. I have to think only of my players. It’s not my job. I accept everything. Now I am working in England and I speak only about these referees.
“It’s not correct if I speak about other referees. England is the only country where there is VAR and you are not sure the decision is right. In other countries, you have to be sure 100 percent. In England, no. I am not able to understand.” Added De Zerbi.
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