Premier League history was created at Stamford Bridge when the referee refused to send off Bournemouth’s David Brooks despite a VAR intervention.
The controversy unfolded shortly after Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert had equalised in the second half. Marc Cucurella, attempting to initiate a counter-attack for Chelsea, was abruptly brought down by Brooks by his hair. Referee Robert Jones was directed to the pitch-side monitor for a closer look. After a thorough review, Jones determined that the incident constituted reckless play rather than violent conduct and issued a yellow card instead of a red.
It was a historic moment as it was the first time in the Premier League that a referee turned down a VAR referral for a red card. Moreover, it is the first VAR rejection in this campaign by an on-field official.
The decision left Chelsea players bewildered as many felt the challenge warranted a more severe punishment. Reece James reflected on the situation after the match and said: “When the referee takes a look at the monitor then it’s never a good sign. There are positives to take away from the game but there are negatives as well. It’s mixed emotions.”
However, the Premier League’s Match Centre offered a swift explanation on social media to clarify the decision:
“VAR recommended an on-field review for a possible red card to Brooks for violent conduct. Upon review, the referee deemed that the challenge on Cucurella was a reckless action and not violent conduct – and issued a yellow card to Brooks.”
Chelsea will now turn their focus to their next Premier League fixture against Wolves on Monday.
Goal.
