Mark Clattenburg was on hand to explain why Chelsea had three goals ruled out in their emphatic 3-0 victory over 10-man Barcelona in the Champions League on a famous night at Stamford Bridge. The Blues came into the game as somewhat of the underdogs but made easy work of a poor Catalan side.
Enzo Maresca's troops could have been celebrating a 6-0 win if not for three goals being disallowed for different reasons. Fortunately for the Italian coach, his side rose to the occasion and took all three points on a damaging night for Hansi Flick and the Blaugrana.
It could have been three-nil by half-time if Enzo Fernandez's two goals stood, but it didn't matter. But the hosts couldn't really complain about the three goals they were denied by Slovene referee Slavko Vincic and VAR.
Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona - Clattenburg on Disallowed Goals
Mark Clattenburg
Fernandez first looked to have put Maresca's men in front in just the fourth minute but Wesley Fofana was judged to have handled the ball in the process. Vincic consulted with VAR and ruled the goal out.
Clattenburg explained on Amazon Prime:
"Yeah Slavko Vincic immediately whistled as the ball was going in the goal, he quickly whistled to tell everybody he thinks it's a handball. As the ball comes in that's where he thinks he's handled the ball, on the build up to the goal.
He added:
"This is an interesting one because he's not the direct scorer of the goal and if they deem that this handball is accidental then therefore the goal will be given because he hasn't directly scored."
Chelsea were knocking at the door and Fernandez again had the ball in the net again, but this time an offside against Trevoh Chalobah cost the Argentine. Clattenburg agreed with this verdict:
"Does Chalobah get that touch because I think the goalscorer is onside. But that touch just in the middle just probably puts him off. He's just got to be ahead of the ball."
He added:
"Also as the cross comes in Chalobah is an offside position and as he's in an offside position he'll be the one that's deemed offside."
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The other goal the Blues were denied came in the 51st minute after Andrey Santos entered the fray at half-time and thought he'd got himself on the scoresheet but the offside flag cut his celebrations short. This was a clear decision that didn't require any explanation from Clattenburg which Alan Shearer echoed on commentary.
Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona: Maresca's Masterclass
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Chelsea's opener arrived with no intervention to deny Maresca's side the lead in the 27th minute. Marc Cucurella's dangerous low-driven right-footed cross was turned into his own net by Jules Kounde. If none of the hosts were going to get on the scoresheet, then Barca were there to help them out.
It went from bad to worse for the Spaniards in the 44th minute when Ronald Araujo foolishly gave the referee no choice but to hand him his marching orders with a second bookable offence. Flick looked enraged on the touchline as his side fell apart in a frenetic first half.
There was no stopping Estevao in the 55th minute when the Brazilian starlet conjured up a moment of magic to fire a second. He did superbly well to find the back of the net and the power of the shot gave Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia no chance.
Liam Delap made it three in the 73rd minute after coming off the bench although the English striker's goal was nearly chalked off for offside. But the former Ipswich Town man was able to wheel away in celebration once VAR gave the green light to Vincic.
Maresca got his team selection and tactics spot on and enjoyed a statement-making victory against a Barca side had down as one of the favourites. It means the west Londoners move up to fourth in the Champions League table with three wins and one defeat from five games.