Nicolas Jackson is sent off for Chelsea against Newcastle United.Nicolas Jackson is sent off for Chelsea against Newcastle United.
Nicolas Jackson is sent off for Chelsea against Newcastle United. | AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea were reduced to 10 men in the first half against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson was shown the first red card of his Blues career against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, being judged to have elbowed Magpies defender Sven Botman.
The visitors went 1-0 down on Tyneside after just two minutes when Sandro Tonali finished a Newcastle United move born from sloppy Chelsea defending and Enzo Maresca’s side were reduced to 10 men after just 35 minutes.
Jackson, who had been anonymous in the match to that point, challenged Botman for a long ball but clattered into his opposite number. The Newcastle United defender went to ground and referee John Brooks initially brandished a yellow card.
There were furious cries around St James’ Park and an inevitable VAR check did follow. Brooks was eventually sent to the monitor and, as expected, overturned his decision and showed a red card - Jackson then taking a slow walk across the pitch and down the tunnel, making some futile appeals to the fourth official on his way.
The Premier League has now issued a statement explaining that VAR decision and labelled the tackle by Jackson as ‘serious foul play’. In a message shared by the Premier League Match Centre on social media platform X, it read: “VAR checked the referee’s call of yellow card to Jackson – and deemed that the challenge by Jackson on Botman was a serious foul play offence, therefore recommended an on-field review. The referee then upgraded the yellow to a red card.”
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