Chelsea too good for Spurs but VAR grabs Premier League headlines

A slew of contentious decisions by the video assistant referee dominated proceedings in the English Premier League.

Giovani Lo Celso of Spurs, No 18, after clashing with Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta at Stamford Bridge. Picture: Getty Images

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard made all the right calls to mastermind another Premier League win over his former boss Jose Mourinho and strike a significant blow in the bunched race for Champions League qualification.

Yet, it was a slew of contentious decisions by the video assistant referee (VAR) that caused the biggest fuss on Saturday night (AEDT).

Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso – handed rare starts by Lampard – scored the goals in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur as the Blues swept Spurs this season to move four points clear in fourth place.

However, much of the talk centred around a call by VAR not to send off Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso for an apparent stamp on Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta in the second half that looked worse with each replay. The Premier League later said it should have been a red card.

“Everybody in the world, in football, saw that was a red,” an exasperated Lampard said.

In the late game, Manchester City won 1-0 at Leicester City helped by a VAR decision not to award a penalty against the visitors, even though Kevin De Bruyne raised his arms to block a free kick in his own area.

“For me it’s a clear penalty. We’re disappointed we didn’t get a penalty, for me it’s so clear,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said.

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The visitors then were awarded a spot kick by VAR in the second half when a shot from Ilkay Gundogan hit the raised right arm of Dennis Praet. Sergio Aguero had his penalty saved but his blushes were spared by Gabriel Jesus, who went on as a substitute for his fellow striker and scored an 80th-minute winner.

City players have now missed four penalties in a row in the league, the other three by Raheem Sterling, Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan.

Second-placed City are now seven points ahead of third-placed Leicester but still 19 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

At Turf Moor, relegation-threatened Bournemouth were denied two goals by VAR for contentious handballs in their 3-0 loss to Burnley – one of which resulted in conceding a penalty at the other end for an incident that occurred 15 seconds earlier.

“It’s very difficult. I’ve got to be careful what I say,” Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said.

“After that (VAR call), I think we were psychologically spent.”

Elsewhere, Socceroos Aaron Mooy and Mat Ryan helped Brighton & Hove Albion earn a 1-1 draw with high-flying Sheffield United.

Neal Maupay cancelled out Enda Stevens’ strike to earn a point for the sixth-placed visitors while Brighton are 15th, four points clear of the drop zone.

Aston Villa are just one point above the relegation zone after their 2-0 loss to Southampton, who scored early through Shane Long and late – in the fifth minute of stoppage time – through Stuart Armstrong.

Crystal Palace eased any relegation concerns by beating Newcastle United 1-0 to jump above them into 13th.

AP