Chelsea FC v Southampton: Post-Match Reflections
Officiating
Mourinho, in almost typical fashion, tried to blame the referee for the defeat, claiming that officials are afraid to give Chelsea decisions. While that sentiment may be true in most cases, the actual fact was that the manager who actually had any right to feel aggrieved on Saturday should have been Ronald Koeman.
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Ivanovic’s foul on Virgil Van Dijk inside the Chelsea’s 18-yard box from a Southampton corner-kick was a clear penalty. But replays showed that the referee, although well placed, failed to see Ivanovic actually tugging Van Dijk’s jersey. Robert Madley would have seen the incident had he been monitoring the goings on in the 18-yard box instead of watching the trajectory of the ball.
That error aside, he actually had a pretty decent game and all the major calls he made were spot on. His decision not to award Sadio Mane a penalty was correct as the Senegalese tried to make a meal of slight contact by Ramires inside the box. He was later booked for another attempt to con the referee after again falling theatrically under little pressure from Ivanovic.
He also got it right when he booked Radamel Falcao for a dive inside the area. The goal keeper made contact with the Colombian, but he was already on his way down under no pressure whatsoever when he realised he couldn’t get the ball. In all, the match official handled the game well and did not deserve the criticism levelled against him by Mourinho.
Next: Final Thoughts