"I can’t understand" - Chelsea legend claims Arsenal should have got a penalty in 2-2 draw; Ian Wright agrees
Chelsea icon Ruud Gullit and Arsenal great Ian Wright were displeased after the Gunners weren't given a penalty in their 2-2 draw against the Blues at Stamford Bridge yesterday (October 21).
Chelsea drew first blood when Cole Palmer dispatched his penalty in the 15th minute following a William Saliba handball. The Blues looked dominant and doubled their advantage in the 48th minute via Mykhailo Mudryk.
Robert Sanchez's error in the 77th minute enabled Declan Rice to finish brilliantly from distance. Despite being outclassed for most of the game, Arsenal used their newfound momentum to level the scores in the 84th minute through Leandro Trossard.
Even though both London clubs had to settle for a point, Arsenal could easily have taken all three points had they gotten a penalty in the second half. Sanchez came off his line to clear the ball, only to accidentally floor Gabriel Jesus with a mistimed punch.
The Spaniard was fortunate to not concede a penalty but Gullit said (via HITC):
“For me, this is a penalty. I can’t understand. VAR is above this studio. This is a foul. Nowhere near. This is a penalty. If you do that as an (outfield) player, it’s unbelievable. He (Jesus) can get hurt like that. I don’t understand why it’s not a penalty. You come too late and you can hurt somebody.”
Wright added:
“Nowhere near. He has missed the whole ball – Jesus is in and amongst the bodies, people will say ‘oh, well Jesus was nowhere near the ball.' But, at the same time, the goalkeeper has (missed the ball). It’s a foul. I haven’t got a clue what is going on anymore.”
Arsenal's unbeaten run in the league continues as they are second with 21 points after nine games. In contrast, Chelsea are 10th with 12 points having played the same number of games.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino praises Marc Cucurella for performance against Arsenal
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettio hailed Marc Cucurella for his impact on the game during the Blues' 2-2 draw against Arsenal on Saturday.
The 25-year-old left-back was given a chance to impress in the starting XI following Ben Chilwell's long-term hamstring injury. He took full advantage of it and looked solid for most of the game.
Cucurella made eight recoveries, won 10 duels, and made two clearances. Pochettino said after the game (via HITC):
“Marc and the club decide to stay in the last transfer window. He is training well, that is why he playing like today, against a very good player like Saka."
“That is him, he deserves the credit because in the last few months he has worked hard and was able to play on the right side, yes, in this way, only what can happen is the team will be better.”
Chelsea will next be in action against Brentford on Saturday, October 28.