Chelsea
(Credit: SuperSport)
Keith Hackett
Sun 9 March 2025 17:25, UK
Chelsea were wrongly denied a penalty during their Premier League clash v Leicester at Stamford Bridge, Keith Hackett has claimed.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that he was “surprised” to see the penalty was not given following a “careless” trip on Pedro Neto.
Cole Palmer missed from the spot in the first half as Mads Hermansen pulled off a terrific save, but was denied a second chance by referee Tim Robinson.
Enzo Maresca’s side went on to win the game 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Marc Cucurella, but their task was made more difficult by a questionable refereeing decision.
Following Man City’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on 8 March, Chelsea have moved into fourth place, with two points separating them from Pep Guardiola’s side.
Position Team Name Games Played Points
1 Liverpool 29 70
2 Arsenal 27 54
3 Nottingham Forest 28 51
4 Chelsea 28 49
5 Man City 28 47
Premier League table following Chelsea v Leicester.
Pedro Neto’s penalty claim waved away as Chelsea win v Leicester
The game’s most controversial incident came in the second half with the score tied at 0-0, as Neto danced into the box before being tripped by James Justin.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES
Replays appeared to show clear contact between the Leicester defender and Chelsea forward, but Robinson waved away the shouts for a spot kick.
As a result of the contact, Hackett has questioned the decision not to award a penalty.
Questions were also asked of VAR official Darren England after the incident was reviewed before they ultimately stuck with the on-field decision.
The explanation given was that Neto had initiated the contact with the Leicester man in an attempt to buy a penalty, and therefore no penalty was the final decision.
Pedro Neto Chelsea
Pedro Neto should have been awarded a penalty v Leicester City. (Credit Imago)
Hackett questions VAR after Pedro Neto controversy v Leicester
As clips of the incident did the rounds on social media, the home crowd at Stamford Bridge were left shocked that no penalty had been awarded.
Hackett joined the fans in their surprise, as he questioned how the contact from Justin on Neto had not been deemed enough to award a penalty by Robinson or England.
“*Given the contact, I am surprised that a penalty kick was not awarded,*” he told Football Insider.
“It’s a careless challenge, which is a foul.
“Where was VAR?”
Neto was also at the centre of controversy in Chelsea’s last league game, as Hackett told Football Insider the Chelsea man should have been banned retrospectively after going down under minimal contact.
This time, the former referee sided with the winger in his claim that he can be considered unlucky not to have been awarded the decision v Leicester.
Chelsea will now turn their attention towards the second leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 clash against Copenhagen, where they lead 2-1 on aggregate.
For more Chelsea and exclusive news, follow us onFacebook or join our brand newWhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
Related Posts