‘FA need to investigate’ repeated incidents after controversial Chelsea vs Arsenal scenes
The FA have been told that they must take action after ugly scenes were seen after Arsenal’s narrow win over Chelsea on Wednesday.
Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge, with goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi handing the Gunners a slender advantage ahead of the second leg.
Alejandro Garnacho netted twice for the home side, but he was unable to spur on an equaliser in Liam Rosenior‘s home debut.
Rosenior was appointed by Chelsea last week, following the departure of previous manager Enzo Maresca.
The former Hull City boss got off to a winning start when Chelsea beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 on Saturday, but Wednesday served as a cruel reality check.
What happened after the final whistle in Chelsea vs Arsenal?
Simon Hooper had enjoyed a surprisingly quiet game during the 90 minutes of what was a key London derby semi-final on Wednesday.
The referee handed out bookings for each side, but for cynical challenges, rather than violent ones.
| Chelsea | Match stats | Arsenal |
| 58% | Possession | 42% |
| 10 | Shots | 17 |
| 0.65 | Expected goals (xG) | 2.68 |
| 12 | Fouls committed | 14 |
| 4 | Yellow cards | 4 |
The same could be said of the video assistant referee, who, despite brief checks for each goal, was largely untroubled.
That changed at the final whistle, however, when Enzo Fernandez and Zubimendi engaged in a heated discussion.
What had been a conversation, albeit an aggressive one, grew into a skirmish when the Chelsea man put his hands on the Arsenal midfielder.
Rosenior, Mikel Arteta and several other players and staff members stepped in to break up the discussion, which did not go any further.
Former PGMOL chief furious at Chelsea vs Arsenal scenes
Scenes like the ones captured after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge have not been uncommon this season.
Just last week, Tottenham‘s FA Cup loss to Aston Villa descended into carnage after the final whistle.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett said that the FA should be looking into each incident.
“We are witnessing a few of these confrontations this season, which tarnish the image of the game and, of course, are very public,” he said.
“The FA need to investigate with the PGMOL and the competitions and determine if a different protocol at the end of the game needs to be introduced.
“This may involve a number of stewards entering the field of play at the conclusion of the game to keep the players apart.
“Determine if sanctions need to be increased as a deterrent. Something clearly needs to be done.”