Chelsea: Three lessons learnt from the crucial draw at Anfield

2. Let’s talk about the refereeing

There has been a lot of heated discussion online and amongst pundits, first, as to whether or not that was in fact a handball, and second, if it was then deserving of a red card. While these things can be subjective in nature, what was unacceptable from referee Anthony Taylor was just how nonchalant his attitude was when making use of the VAR to take a closer look at the incident.

Referee Taylor was mid-stride when he took one look at an image, not a clip, of the incident, before immediately turning back to the pitch to award the penalty and then the red card. With the luxury of having unlimited replays via the monitor, it is just puzzling why the referee was in such a rush to come to a decision.

This is not how VAR should be applied and in a league that many are championing as the best in the world, the standard of refereeing is just not up to par. It was a decision that ruined what should have been an engrossing and tightly-contested affair and ultimately is just not a great advertisement of the English Premier League.