As thrilled as Chelsea ought to be with their performance against Arsenal, Moises Caicedo’s red card will be a bitter pill to swallow.
Before Chelsea were down to ten men, they were clearly the better team.
38 minutes in, the Ecuadorian was handed his marching orders for a high tackle on Mikel Merino. The challenge was initially deemed enough for a caution, but a VAR review upgraded it to a straight sending off.
Mark Clattenburg’s thoughts on Caicedo’s red card…
Speaking exclusively to The Chelsea Chronicle, the former Premier League referee said:
There is no doubt that Moises Caicedo deserve a red card for a shocking tackle that catches his opponent above the foot which could easily endanger the safety of his opponent. Some will argue that the early yellow cards have created this tension but that is looking for excuses for such a tackle.
Mark Clattenburg
Daniel Sturridge thinks the Caicedo red card was harsh, and now Gary Lineker is echoing the same.
Gary Lineker critical of VAR use with Moises Caicedo’s red card
There were no arguments when Caicedo was shown a yellow for the challenge on Merino.
It was a case of unfortunate timing, with both players only going for the ball.
But when Anthony Taylor was called to the monitor by VAR to review the challenge in slow-motion, he quickly changed his mind.
Anthony Taylor checking Moises Caicedo's challenge on Mikel Merino
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
That’s where the issue lies for Lineker, as he explains on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football.
He says: “I don’t think they should have slow motion for things like that. It’s the same when you see still shots of people’s feet. I mean, his foot wasn’t raised. It was on the ground. He was a millisecond late for the ball. And slow motion makes it look terrible.
“So, I understand exactly why they possibly overturn this decision. But, I mean, really, I don’t even think that would have been a foul in my day, let alone a red card.”
As is the case with many such instances, there are strong opinions on both sides, but Lineker isn’t convinced that the decision reached was the correct one.
Still, the Blues held out for a draw without Caicedo’s midfield presence, and John Terry thinks the Arsenal performance proved Chelsea’s title credentials.
Alan Shearer agrees somewhat but thinks Caicedo can’t complain
It’s true that the game has gotten somewhat softer since the days of Shearer and Lineker, and the Newcastle legend agrees with Lineker to a point.
He explains: “I agree with you in terms of in your day and in my day, yeah it wouldn’t have been a red card. It was probably a normal tackle.
“But I think when you challenge like that, you run the risk of giving the referee or the VAR the chance to send you off, and I thought it was a bit naughty.”
Moises Caicedo and Mikel Merino hurt during Chelsea vs Arsenal
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
As I said, arguments on both sides.
The decision won’t be overturned, anyway, so it’s best to swiftly move on.
Unfortunately, Caicedo will miss Chelsea’s next three Premier League games for his sins.