Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca questioned referee decision not to send off Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie after his challenge on Trevoh Chalobah during Sunday’s Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge.
Both London club settled for a point as Chelsea played over 50 minutes with ten men after midfielder Moises Caicedo was shown a straight red for his late challenge on Mikel Merino.
However, Chelsea believed Arsenal should have also been reduced to 10 men when Hincapie and Chalobah came together while competing for a header. The Ecuadorian defender entered the challenge with a raised arm, striking the 25-year-old under the eye with his elbow.
Hinacpie was shown a yellow card by on-field referee Anthony Taylor, with the incident checked by the VAR.
Moises Caicedo (not pictured) is shown a red card by referee Anthony Taylor. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Maresca took exception to the decision in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision should have been upgraded to a red. The Italian admitted that while Caicedo was correctly dismissed for his tackle, he lamented inconsistencies against his side.
Asked to comment on post-match quotes by his captain Reece James, who suggested Hincapie should have been shown a red for the challenge. Maresca replied: “I think Reece is right. But they (officials) decide. I just said there, he asked me about Moises’ red card. It’s a red card, but why was Bentancur’s against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away? So us, as a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in a different way.
Piero Hincapié elbows Trevoh Chalobah in the face during Chelsea match with Arsenal. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
“Moises’ is a red card, yes. Bentancur’s is a red card, yes. Why don’t they give him a red card? It’s just that we struggle to understand. The reality is that it’s a red card. But why do they judge it differently?
“And the Trevoh one, I asked the referee, he said to me that it was not an elbow. So, this is what they said. (He had a) black eye, with ice at half-time. But they judge in different way.”
Despite not taking all three point, Maresca was proud of his side. He said: “The effort of the players (is what I’m most proud of). Arsenal, they are top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League, best defenders in the Premier League, probably best defenders in the Champions League. So, in this moment, they are the best team. And I think 11 vs 11, we were better than them. Then, with 10 players again, the dynamic changed. So, the effort from the players has been outstanding.”
Arsenal are still on top of the Premier League table, six points ahead of Chelsea who travel to Leeds on Wednesday, before heading down to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth on December 6.
