Chelsea won their last two games 4-0 on the road. The victory over Qarabag feels much less satisfying given the official’s heavy hand in the result.
Willian scored two goals and drew penalties that his teammates converted for two more. Cesc Fabregas scored one of those penalty kicks and dominated passing and possession, completing 17% of Chelsea’s total passing. Eden Hazard calmly slotted home the other penalty kick, and created Willian’s first goal with a quintessentially deft backheel at the end of a sublime build-up.
And yet, sadly, the most impactful person in Chelsea’s win may have been match official Jorge Sousa. Sousa awarded Chelsea a penalty kick for Rashad Sadiqov’s foul on Willian. He followed up his point towards the spot by reaching into his pocket to produce his red card. If the penalty kick was generous, the red card was Mother Theresa dressed as Santa Claus.
Sousa was in the perfect position for a clear view of Sadiqov pulling down Willian. He still paused for a moment of thought before awarding the penalty kick. He then continued his internal deliberation before confronting Sadiqov and showing the card. The call may have been dubious, but it was not spurious.
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Once Eden Hazard dispatched the penalty kick, Chelsea spent 70 minutes in much the same manner they played the second half against West Bromwich Albion. The Blues put on a solid show, particularly in creating Willian’s first goal. They continued to move the ball to send Willian and Pedro in on goal. Cesc Fabregas took advantage of the extra time and space to practice his signature passes.
But they did not play with any sense of urgency, nor did they feel the need to play for perfection. They could get away with spending too much time on the ball, misplacing passes, making poor choices or conceding possession too easily. There were no consequences for those missteps. A 10-man Qarabag could hardly make them pay.
The result came too easily because the Blues had such a limited role in creating it. Chelsea may very well have won 4-0 against a full strength Qarabag. They still could have been up 2-0 at the half and coasted to victory. But Jorge Sousa did the one thing an official in any sport should never do: he made himself integral to the outcome when the moment did not need him.
Many referees would not have given Chelsea the first penalty kick. Most would not have given Sadiqov the red card. Willian and his teammates did not protest for a call, and certainly not for a red card. Had Sousa not acted, justice would still be served. Sousa was neither malicious nor incompetent. But he was consequential. Too much so for a call that was at best 50-50, and at an early stage of the game.
If either of Sousa’s penalty calls occurred in the Premier League, they would be the conversation point for the remainder of the week. Former officials would be weighing in at any media outlet that would have them. The ex-player punditry would inveigh against how soft the game has gone, and more than a few would say if anyone deserved to be sent off it should be Willian for going down too easily. Aggrieved fans would talk about the campaign against their side, and the beneficiaries’ fans would claim justice.
Chelsea are often on the losing end of 50-50 calls, and have had very obvious fouls be greeted by the referee’s silence rather than a whistle blast. If there is universal karmic balance in football officiating, the ledger shifted towards the Blues in Baku. Of course, if Chelsea had their say in such matters they would hope for the extra help when playing an opponent against whom they could use the light fouls.
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Chelsea may never be the beneficiary of such officiating again. Those calls would never happen in the Premier League, and if they did they would not accrue to Chelsea’s favour. Enjoy while you can, if you can.