MOTD in agreement over Crystal Palace vs Chelsea controversy: ‘It’s not that difficult…’
Chelsea continued their strong start under Liam Rosenior with a 3-1 win away at struggling Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The new boss has now won both of his opening two Premier League games in charge of the Blues, who remain hot on the heels of Manchester United in the final Champions League spot.
Estevao netted the opener for Chelsea midway through the first half set the visitors on their way, before a second-half goal from Joao Pedro and an Enzo Fernandez penalty put the result beyond doubt.
Chris Richards’ late goal was little more than a consolation for Crystal Palace, who saw their winless run extend to 11 games in all competitions.
There were plenty of talking points from the clash at Selhurst Park, but once again it was a refereeing decision that stole the majority of the limelight.
MOTD react to Jaydee Canvot handball in Crystal Palace vs Chelsea
Fernandez’s penalty for Chelsea’s third goal came as a result of a contentious handball decision from Darren England.
Pedro’s shot from close range struck a combination of the hip and arm of Jaydee Canvot, who blocked the ball as the last line of defence, with goalkeeper Dean Henderson stranded.
England opted against awarding a spot-kick to Chelsea after his initial view of the incident, but then altered his decision after being instructed to consult the monitor by VAR official Mathew Donohue.
Canvot was also shown a yellow card in the process, before Fernandez converted the penalty to effectively end any hope of a comeback for the hosts.
England’s decision has been heavily scrutinised in the aftermath of the game, not least by the Match of the Day team on Sunday night, who were in agreement that it shouldn’t have been a penalty.
“It’s not that difficult,” Danny Murphy said during his assessment of the incident.
“Canvot’s arm is not in an unnatural position, it’s right beside him. It’s an easy decision, I don’t really know why VAR have even got involved, and they’ve ended up making the wrong decision.
“Whether they’re confused in terms of the law, I don’t know, but they’ve made a mistake.”
Wayne Rooney also shared his frustration with the call, as he added: “They (VAR) have made many mistakes this season, that’s why everyone’s getting fed up with it. We’re seeing it time and time again where we’re getting the wrong decision.”
Darren England endures weekend to forget
England was also involved in a controversy on Saturday, as he played a major role in a decision regarding a potential penalty that was ultimately not given to Manchester City during their win over Wolves.
The 40-year-old was on VAR for that clash, and opted to send debut Premier League official Farai Hallam to consult the monitor after another potential handball incident inside the Wolves box.
However, Hallam stuck to his guns and retained his original view that Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera had not committed a handling offence, as England was once again seen to have judged a handball incident incorrectly.
It was a weekend to forget for the official, who has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after the two games that he was involved in.