A turbulent first half in the Premier League clash between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge saw Moises Caicedo sent off and his opponent Piero Hincapie controversially avoid the same fate.
The heated opening 45 minutes produced six cards from referee Anthony Taylor. The most significant incident involved Chelsea’s Caicedo, who was dismissed for a challenge on Mikel Merino. Initially shown a yellow card, the decision was overturned by VAR for “serious foul play.” The referee announced to the stadium that the tackle involved “excessive force and endangers the safety of the opponent.”
However, Sky Sports pundit Daniel Sturridge suggested the video review may have been harsh. “Slowed down, it looks nasty,” he commented. “But if you look at it in high speed, it doesn’t seem that bad of a tackle. It looks worse when it’s slowed down.”
Just three minutes after Caicedo’s dismissal, Arsenal’s Hincapie was involved in an incident that also prompted a VAR review. While challenging for a header, the defender caught Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah in the face with his elbow, leaving him with a visible cut. Hincapie received a yellow card, and despite the check, VAR did not recommend further punishment.
According to the broadcast commentary, the VAR official informed the referee that while Hincapie’s arm was used “recklessly,” his eyes remained on the ball throughout the challenge.
The contentious first half also saw yellow cards issued to Martin Zubimendi, Marc Cucurella, Cristhian Mosquera, and Riccardo Calafiori, underscoring the fractious nature of the London derby.
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