Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino expressed his frustration with video technology, describing it as “damaging” for English football, following Axel Disasi’s stoppage-time winner being disallowed in their draw at Aston Villa.
Pochettino’s team staged a comeback from two goals down to secure a draw, denting Villa’s top-four hopes. However, Disasi’s apparent winning goal was disallowed when he headed in Benoit Badiashile’s cross in the 95th minute.
The video assistant referee (VAR) recommended an on-field review, and referee Craig Pawson concluded that Badiashile had committed a foul on a Villa defender before making the cross.
Chelsea’s players protested vehemently, surrounding Pawson at the final whistle, while Pochettino engaged in a passionate discussion with Villa defender Ezri Konsa.
“They didn’t see a foul on the pitch and then VAR changed the decision of the referee,” Pochettino told BBC Match of the Day.
“For me that was a normal challenge. The decision was there and that’s it.
“For me it damaged a little bit the Premier League and English [football]. If we want to be the best league in the world it should be protecting the spectacle and the decision.
“It damaged myself, damaged my team, my players, my fans.”
Villa, whose hopes of securing a top-four finish are now out of their hands due to dropped points, took an early lead when John McGinn’s deflected effort off Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella found the bottom corner.
Chelsea responded strongly, with Nicolas Jackson having an effort ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee and later hitting the post with a header.
Morgan Rogers doubled Villa’s lead by slotting the ball home through Trevoh Chalobah’s legs and into the near post.
Gallagher’s equaliser from range. 🎯😮💨#CFC | #AvlChe pic.twitter.com/flzQSUaTT1
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 28, 2024
Chelsea clawed their way back into the game after Noni Madueke cleverly finished into the far corner following a high press to win possession.
The visitors equalized through Conor Gallagher’s superb curling effort from the edge of the area.
Both teams had chances to snatch victory before the disallowed goal, with Ollie Watkins missing a chance for Villa and Cole Palmer’s one-on-one shot saved.
The result was positive for Chelsea, especially after trailing by two goals, showcasing their resilience and character in the second half.
A tidy finish from Madueke. 🙌#CFC | #AvlChe pic.twitter.com/GDjsEsuSNT
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 27, 2024
The match highlighted familiar defensive issues for Chelsea, as they conceded two soft goals and extended their run of away games without a clean sheet to 14 matches.
Despite the disappointment of the disallowed goal, Chelsea can take confidence from their comeback against a side competing for a Champions League spot and possessing one of the league’s best home records.
Nonetheless, Villa also had concerns, with goalkeeper Emi Martinez forced off at halftime with a suspected thigh injury, potentially impacting their upcoming Europa Conference League semi-final.
What a player. What a finish.
🥶 @Morgz_10 pic.twitter.com/GZTHILrZz0
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 27, 2024
Overall, it was an intense and eventful match, with both teams demonstrating their strengths and areas for improvement.