Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has called out his fellow managers for their hypocrisy regarding the use of VAR, though insisted he was not trying to undermine Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
Pochettino made a winning return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night, with his Blues beating Spurs 4-1 in a chaotic encounter.
The hosts ended the game with nine men. Cristian Romero was sent off for a dangerous challenge and conceded a penalty following a VAR check, while Destiny Udogie – who was spared a straight red for a reckless lunge in the first half – received his marching orders after picking up a second booking just after the break.
VAR also ruled out two Chelsea goals during the first 45, with Raheem Sterling’s strike chalked off for handball in the buildup and Moises Caicedo’s finish pulled back for offside against Nicolas Jackson.
An elbow from Reece James into Udogie’s face was reviewed by VAR but the Chelsea captain was cleared of wrongdoing, while Micky van de Ven was handed a reprieve for a penalty check after missing Raheem Sterling with a sliding challenge.
Both home and away fans became disgruntled throughout the game due to the length of the VAR checks and lack of replays on the big screens.
Though most of Monday’s decisions were widely accepted to have been correct in the end, they came at the conclusion of a weekend dominated by VAR controversy.
Arsenal manager Arteta unleashed a furious tirade against officials following their 1-0 loss at Newcastle United on Saturday, with the club later releasing a statement in support of him.
Speaking after Monday’s win, Pochettino was quick to point out that many managers lobbied for VAR to be introduced.
“I don’t want to remember, but many coaches wanted VAR. And then when it’s against you, ‘oh that is a disgrace’, it’s difficult,” he said.
Before moving on, Pochettino sternly added: “I’m not talking about Arteta. I’m not talking about Arteta.
“The balance is really difficult, but the football we need to try to help together to improve this kind of thing, because if not then in a competitive game like today – I think there were five goals disallowed – you need to check and then you need to play.”
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