Keith Hackett slams VAR after what he spotted in Chelsea controversy vs Pafos
Chelsea felt hard done by on several occasions in their Champions League win over Pafos on Wednesday night.
Moises Caicedo‘s goal saw Chelsea beat Pafos 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, in what was ultimately a very narrow victory.
The Cypriot side showed great fight against the Premier League giants, but fell just short of leaving with a point.
Chelsea thought they had taken the lead against Pafos in the first half, but Enzo Fernandez‘s goal was disallowed for a soft-appearing push.
Fernandez has been linked away from Chelsea in recent days, but the midfielder’s furious reaction to the decision underlined his passion for the Blues.
Keith Hackett has sympathy for Chelsea after penalty decision
Liam Rosenior is still working to convince the Chelsea fans of his ability to lead the club forward in the wake of Enzo Maresca‘s departure.
The manager’s first weeks in charge have seen mixed performances and results, with the Blues winning three of four games.
| Chelsea | Match stats | Pafos |
| 71% | Possession | 29% |
| 21 | Shots | 4 |
| 7 | Shots on target | 2 |
| 1.68 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.15 |
| 15 | Corners | 2 |
Wednesday’s performance would not have done much to convince the Chelsea fans, with Rosenior’s side looking rather pedestrian at times.
With all due respect to Pafos, many fans would have expected to see their side rip apart their opposition at Stamford Bridge, but the reality was very different.
Chelsea huffed and puffed throughout the game, but created very little that was clear-cut. In fairness, however, they could have had a penalty in the second half.
Much is said of the harsher handball rules in the Champions League, but neither referee Erik Lambrechts or VAR were interested when Vlad Dragomir clearly controlled the ball with his arms inside the penalty area.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Premier League official Keith Hackett said: “The player has gained control of the ball with his hand/arm and Chelsea have cause to be disappointed that a penalty kick has not been awarded.”
What Liam Rosenior said about Chelsea win
Rosenior has now led Chelsea to consecutive wins, and the manager will hope to secure a top-eight finish in the Champions League next week against Napoli.
The Blues will almost certainly have to win in Naples to secure it, with a two-leg play-off tie to follow if they drop out.
Speaking after Wednesday’s game, Rosenior said: “Of course you want to score more goals but the reality is we are in the top eight.
“We have to keep focusing on the job and that is to win as many games as possible. I can’t affect how people judge me but I am very excited for the future of this club.”