‘Aggressive’ Anthony Taylor claim issued as new Tottenham-Chelsea controversy analysed – pundit
Noel Whelan has hailed Anthony Taylor for “letting the game flow” as Chelsea were twice pegged back by Tottenham in an instant classic 2-2 draw on Sunday (14 August).
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the full-blooded nature of the match is “what fans pay to see” and was a welcome throwback to Premier League games of old.
Taylor has been the subject of much derision post-match, with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel calling (as quoted by The Guardian post-match) for him to be barred from refereeing games involving the Blues.
Tuchel and Antonio Conte were both red carded after full-time after tensions finally boiled over on the touchline.
The main flashpoint came when Kai Havertz was dispossessed by a strong challenge from Rodrigo Bentancur in the build-up to Tottenham’s first equaliser.
However, Whelan claimed most challenges were “fair” and insisted he “loved” watching the match.
He told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “Yesterday was a prime example of going back to the days when I was playing.
“It was aggressive, there were fair challenges, the referee let the game flow – and that’s what you want to see, that competitive edge.
“It’s a test of mentality for these players. You either sink or swim.
“You find out about whether you want to be in the trenches with your teammates – and that is what I loved about Sunday’s game.
“No one shirked out of challenges, no one was whinging. People want to see this at home. No one wants to see a stop-start game where players are trying to kid the fans or the referee.
“This is what we want, and what fans pay to see.
“The Premier League was the best in the world because it was the most physical in the world. We lost that for a while, but hopefully now – it’s back for good.”
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