Chelsea’s manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has heavily criticized VAR following their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Blues found themselves two goals behind in the first half but staged a comeback in the second to level the score. Axel Disasi appeared to have secured the winning goal with a header, but VAR intervened, ultimately disallowing the goal.
This outcome leaves Chelsea in 9th place with 48 points.
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Speaking post-match, Pochettino expressed frustration, stating, “Two different things: the referee called it a foul and annulled the goal, then VAR was consulted to confirm. The referee’s decision is baffling and absurd. It’s hard to swallow these incidents; just two weeks ago in the FA Cup semi-final against Man City, a handball wasn’t given as a penalty, and the referee didn’t review it.
“It’s agonizing because it’s detrimental to English football. I don’t believe Villa’s players and fans comprehended why the goal was disallowed. They cited a foul, but if we dissect every challenge like this, the game would be constantly interrupted, and we wouldn’t finish with 11 players.
“Whether it’s about the performance or the verdict, it’s detrimental to the sport.”