Chelsea’s match against Liverpool on Saturday was by far the most exciting contest in the Premier League season thus far. There was action, drama, controversy and the performance of a lifetime by the Blues. Although the London side came out with a point in the end, it was not happy at the end of the first half. Chelsea made it a point to emphasize its stance to referee Anthony Taylor following a contentious call that changed the course of the game.
The match could have gone very differently had Chelsea not received the red card near the end of the first half. The Blues were winning by one goal and were on their way to a lead at halftime. However, that is when everything fell apart and after a lot of confusion, while defending a Liverpool corner, the ball hit Recce James on the thigh and then bounced onto his arm. While this was a definite penalty, the 42-year-old English referee looked at a still image (as opposed to a video replay, in which VAR ensures) of the ball hitting James’ hand and immediately sent him off.
Chelsea finds itself in further trouble after the FA charges the club for failing to control its players
It was a very quick and absurd decision since the referee did not even look at the whole video and based his judgement solely on that one image. This made the Chelsea players act out in anger and confusion immediately following. The tensions only grew when Taylor decided to book goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for trying to kick away the ball after Mohamed Salah scored from the penalty spot. Now, it has been revealed that Chelsea is in further trouble as the players had confronted Taylor, asking him to explain his decision.
The players were justifiably angry at the situation and the harsh judgment shown by Taylor. They all tried to talk with the referee after both the red card incident and the half to obtain an explanation to the rash decision. Even though captain Cesar Azpillicueta managed to calm down his teammates, the damage had been done. Now, the Football Association has charged the west Londoners with two charges of misconduct; one charge is from the 48′ of the first half and the second one is from the end of the first half.
The Blues will have to respond to the charges by Friday and it only brings them additional hassle. It seems like Chelsea just cannot catch a break with Taylor, a referee who is infamous for being too harsh with the London side. According to an analytical article by Tribuna, the Blues have the lowest win rate amongst the big six while being refereed by Taylor. Chelsea has won only 18 times out of 38 matches, making their win percentage a measly 47 percent. It has also lost 12 times, which is the second-highest, beating out only Tottenham Hotspur.
The Blues have also received just five penalties under Taylor and have been shown the most yellow cards (87). This is way worse than how he treats other teams. Although fans often say that blaming the referee is like passing the buck, in the case of Taylor, it might just be true as it relates to Chelsea. The Champions of Europe will face Aston Villa after the international break, and hopefully, they will have a more favourable outing than the one they had at Anfield.
Do you think Chelsea should appeal these charges or simply accept the penalty at this point? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!