Premier League forced to release two Chelsea VAR statements in late Man United referee drama

The final 20 minutes of Manchester United's lacklustre 1-1 draw with Chelsea saw referee Rob Jones become a major talking point. Prior to Rob Sanchez's controversial tackle on Rasmus Hojlund, the match had been relatively uneventful.

Chelsea expressed mild frustration when Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill were denied first-half penalties following clashes with Manuel Ugarte and Lisandro Martinez, but their protests didn't escalate beyond initial outcries. United also felt aggrieved, believing Fofana may have fouled Alejandro Garnacho in his attempt to cross in the first half.

However, no incidents were escalated to a full VAR review, and the game flowed without significant interruption, reflecting an opening half that highlighted both teams' shortcomings. With less than 30 minutes remaining, Jones was left with no option but to award a penalty after Hojlund skilfully controlled a long ball and attempted to bypass Sanchez.

Despite moving away from goal, the Chelsea keeper opted to reach for the ball, missed, and Hojlund went down, resulting in a penalty. A furious Sanchez protested, but VAR officials Michael Salisbury and Nick Hopton at Stockley Park concurred with Jones' decision, providing Ruud van Nistelrooy's side with a golden chance to go ahead.

The Premier League made public the reasoning behind the call via the official Match Centre X (formerly Twitter) account. "The referee awarded a penalty for a foul by Sanchez on Hojlund," the statement reads. "The VAR checked and confirmed the referee's call."

A straightforward sequence of events; Bruno Fernandes converted the spot-kick to score. Chelsea responded not long after, hinting at the game ramping up to the frantic level anticipated.

READ MORE: Chelsea next five fixtures compared to Arsenal and Tottenham after frustrating Man United draw

READ MORE: Caicedo world-class, James great but Gusto poor - Chelsea player ratings in Man Utd draw

However, most players failed to reach the expected intensity - it wasn't until Martinez's ill-tempered challenge on Cole Palmer towards the end that matters finally flared in the manner often seen in clashes between United and Chelsea. Martinez was outwitted by Palmer at midfield as the latter attempted to initiate a counterattack, causing the United defender to lash out with a trailing leg. The tackle caught Palmer high on the leg.

Gary Neville was left expecting harsh punishment, "As a professional, I think that one where yOou leave your studs, you know you’re not getting the ball and you go in knee-high," he said on commentary. "To be fair you’re asking for a red card."

The official at Stockley Park, Salisbury, saw things differently, deciding against sending off Martinez despite the VAR review. "I think he's lucky," Neville remarked further.

"I think when you go knee-high and the ball’s gone, with studs, I’m not quite sure what sort of interpretation it is but I think that is a red." Match Centre clarified: "The referee issued a yellow card to Martinez for a challenge on Palmer. VAR checked for a potential red card and confirmed the referee’s call of no red card, deeming that it was a reckless challenge."

Former referee Mike Dean agreed with the assessment, noting: "He’s come down, he’s just caught the end of his knee with his studs. There’s not a lot of force in it, it’s more of a glancing blow down across his knee rather than endangering the safety of an opponent."

The incident sparked a strong reaction from Chelsea players who confronted Martinez and Jones. Despite being a contentious moment, it was one of the few in a match that was otherwise lacking in excitement, with VAR not stirring much debate.

The timing of the incident, deep into stoppage time, reduced the potential for uproar over the decision to keep Martinez on the pitch. Speaking afterwards, Enzo Maresca was quizzed on the fitness of Palmer and what he made of the decision.

"He was there in the changing room with ice," the Italian said of Palmer. "We are waiting now. Hopefully it is nothing important," he added. On Jones, he finished: "And then I know you are going to ask me about the referee's decision. They showed me before the press conference, I think it is quite clear almost for all of us but the referees there did not take the decision and they made a different decision."

Maresca was seen speaking with Jones at full-time and he accepted that it was the topic of conversation. "I just said, for me, when there is no intention to go for the ball and he goes for the player. It's a red."

Jones offered little back, though. "He didn't say nothing. I just said to him when there is no intention to go for the ball and to go for the player, the legs, there is no doubt about the decision. I think it is quite clear it is a red, yes."

football.london Chelsea WhatsApp channel

Want to keep up to date with the breaking and important Chelsea stories whilst on the move? Well now you can!

Click this link to follow the football.london Chelsea WhatsApp channel, where you'll be kept up to date on the latest Blues news wherever you are.

Just remember to turn on the notifications once you've followed, and you won't miss a beat!