Ex-Premier League referee issues unjust Mason Mount claim at Chelsea as ‘gutting’ ban confirmed
Chelsea did not deserve a penalty in their 2-0 win over AC Milan in the Champions League last week (11 October), according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee insisted that Fikayo Tomori did not foul Mason Mount and it was normal contact.
Tomori and Mount tussled in the box before Mount went down after taking a shot and the referee immediately pointed to the spot and showed Tomori a red card.
The Englishman, 24, will now miss AC Milan’s trip to Dinamo Zagreb next week (25 October).
Mount told club media after the game that he was “gutted” for his former Chelsea teammate who did not deserve to be sent off.
“I don’t think it was a foul,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“What the left hand holding his opponent? That might be the view that the referee has seen.
“The sadness is that if the referee sees that as a foul then he has no alternative than to dismiss the player. His application of law, if he sees it as a foul, is correct.
“The fact is that I don’t think it was a foul. Going to ground or not going to ground should not influence it.
“Ultimately at the end of the day, football is a contact sport. There’s no actual hold and pull here. I’ve looked closely at the feet level and there’s not a trip either.
“He’s got it wrong. What surprises me is they operate with VAR. I’m surprised VAR didn’t come in because, for me, that’s a clear and obvious error.”
In other news, a finance guru has claimed Chelsea are set to rip up the rulebook amid a world-record £1billion claim.