Although Chelsea were reduced to ten men following Moises Caicedo's red card – and the Blues' sixth of the campaign – Enzo Maresca's men were able to pick up a draw against the table-topping Arsenal. The all-London encounter at Stamford Bridge endured no shortage of refereeing controversies, however, and a rules expert has claimed there's a 'very strong case' that Trevoh Chalobah's goal should've been chalked off.
With the west Londoners on top of proceedings from minute one, they finally broke the deadlock in the 48th minute after Chalobah latched onto Reece James' cross. Undeterred by the fact they were reduced to ten men in the first half, the Blues continued to push and prod but Arsenal eventually scored.
It took until the 59th minute for Mikel Arteta's side to grab a goal: Martin Odegaard played the ball into the feet of an overlapping Bukayo Saka before the English winger cut back onto his left foot and teased a ball into Chelsea's danger area. His teasing ball, directed towards the far post, was met by midfielder-turned-striker Merino, and he nodded beyond Robert Sanchez to make it 1-1.
Rules Expert Dale Johnson: There's a 'Very Strong Case' That Chelsea's Goal Was Offside
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As mentioned, referee Anthony Taylor – from kick-off until the final whistle was blown – endured a busy day at the office and that included Caicedo's sending off in the first half and, following the draw as both sides scored a goal apiece, rules expert Dale Johnson has claimed there is a 'very strong case' for Arsenal fans to be peeved about Chalobah's opener.
Following David Raya's save from Joao Pedro, James produced an inviting cross and it was met by Chalobah. But did Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez – widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football – play a major role in the ball evading contact from Arsenal duo Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie?
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Indeed, Fernandez was stood in an offside position and was very close to Hincapie and Mosquera and there were questions raised over whether the Argentine influenced the decision-making of either central defender. His positioning begs whether Mosquera and Hincapie – who were standing in for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes – were prevented from making contact with the ball.
Fernandez, who was ahead of the play when Chalobah flicked on James' cross, may not have tried to play the crossed ball, but he did appear to impact Mosquera's ability to clear the English defender's flick on off the line.
As evidenced by the footage below, it is clear that Fernandez had his arm on Hincapie's back and, as a result, Johnson insists a 'very strong case' can be made for the central midfielder – who became one of the most expensive transfers in Premier League history following his move from Benfica in January 2023 – being offside. He claims it 'comes back to a question of consistency again'.
Those manning VAR, however, did take a look at the home outfit's goal, and they came to the conclusion there was no impact on the defenders.
According to a report from Sky Sports, the IFAB (International Football Association Board) deem a player offside if they prevent an opponent from being able to play the ball, if they challenge an opponent for the ball or if they make an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball.
The situation of Fernandez brings all three of the criteria into question. While Mosquera's right hand is technically level with Chelsea's No.8, the Laws of the Game state "The hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeepers, are not considered" in offsides, as you cannot gain an advantage by using your hands in football.
Previous Offside Calls This Season Raise Eyebrows – Van Dijk's Included
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This is not the first time during the 2025/26 Premier League campaign that offside calls have raised the eyebrows of fans. Virgil van Dijk's goal for Liverpool against Manchester City was chalked off after it was deemed that Andy Robertson was in an offside position. Although the Scottish defender didn't touch the ball, he was adjudged to have affected play by being in Gianluigi Donnarumma's line of vision.
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Van Dijk and Arne Slot were bemused by the decision.
Two weeks later, controversy struck again – but this time in Liverpool's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest. Murillo, a defender for the latter, scored to give Sean Dyche's side an unlikely lead in the first-half and the Anfield faithful were up in arms about the decision.
A ball into the box caused havoc for the Reds and Murillo, after acting the quickest to the loose ball, swept home past Alisson Becker in the 33rd minute. Forest winger Dan Ndoye – in an offside position – looked to be blocking the view of the Brazilian, though the goal was allowed as Ndoye adjudged not to be in the seasoned goalkeeper's eyeline.