Enzo Maresca will have to concede that VAR masked a number of issues he has to address after Chelsea’s win over Fulham.
Chelsea 2-0 win over Fulham relied heavily on the officials being able to watch things back a second time. When Enzo Maresca does the same with this performance, he will surely concede VAR masked a number of issues he has to address over the upcoming international break if the Blues are to mount a serious Premier League title challenge this season.
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They were fortunate to beat Fulham here and visiting boss Marco Silva knew it. The Cottagers should have been ahead on 21 minutes when Josh King raced clear on a lightning quick counter-attack, cut inside on his right foot and fired a low shot past Robert Sánchez.
Referee Robert Jones was asked to look again at a challenge by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah. As Muniz spun, attempting a double drag-back, he completed the first part but missed the ball with his left leg and landed on Chalobah’s foot. The VAR told Jones that it was a « careless challenge », and the referee agreed.
It was a harsh interpretation of what seemed a natural movement in the midst of good center forward play. To compound Fulham’s frustration, Chelsea took the lead against the run of play from a corner taken in the ninth minute of what was supposed to be eight added on at the end of the first half, João Pedro glancing in Enzo Fernández’s delivery.
By the time Fernandez converted a spot kick, awarded after another VAR review for Ryan Sessegnon’s handball, the rage in Silva had given way to resignation for the second week in a row, after Manchester United’s controversial goal against Fulham last Sunday.
« It’s a special game for everybody in the best league in the world and I saw my team play an outstanding performance in the first half, not trying to park the bus or anything like that », he told TNT Sports.
