Ferdinand: 'VAR took two penalties away from Chelsea'

Former Chelsea defender Rio Ferdinand believes Chelsea were unfairly treated when they were denied two penalties in their humiliating 1-4 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League on January 31st.

"It's unbelievable that VAR ignored Liverpool's fouls," Ferdinand commented on Virgil van Dijk's challenge on Conor Gallagher in the seventh minute, followed by a kick to Christopher Nkunku's leg in the 73rd minute. These were crucial moments, with the score at 0-0 and 3-1 in favor of Liverpool. If Chelsea had been awarded penalties in those situations, they could have steered the game in a different direction.

Van Dijk's foul on Gallagher early in the match was overlooked by VAR as Liverpool beat Chelsea in the 22nd round of the Premier League on January 31st. Photo: Mirror

"VAR was created to assist referees and reduce controversy, but it's more controversial than ever," Ferdinand added. "I don't believe VAR doesn't see what we see. Why didn't they think it was a penalty? These are crucial situations that affect a team's fate."

Manager Mauricio Pochettino was also upset after the match. He argued with referee John Brooks as soon as the final whistle blew. "I reviewed the situations immediately on my iPad and thought it should have been a penalty," the Argentinian coach said in a post-match interview. "Chelsea were unlucky, but of course this doesn't change the feeling that Liverpool were stronger than us."

Liverpool dominated Chelsea at Anfield in terms of attacking moves and scoring opportunities. They had seven more shots than Chelsea (28 compared to 4) and scored four goals from well-executed, well-organized plays. If striker Darwin Nunez hadn't hit the post four times, including a penalty, Liverpool would have scored even more goals.

Thanks to their emphatic victory over Chelsea, Liverpool consolidated their top spot in the Premier League with 51 points, five points ahead of second-placed Man City, although their rivals have a game in hand.

Vy Anh

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