Top News

Chelsea's Moises Caicedo was sent-off against Arsenal and VAR's need to look out for tackles with ‘excessive force’ may have been one of the main reasons why the midfielders was shown a red card. The Ecaudorian failed to last a half and was dismissed in the 38th minute of Sunday’s clash at Stamford Bridge.

The decision came after a particularly heavy challenge from the Chelsea man on Mikel Merino. Some of the finer details that VAR officials are trained to look out for a likely to have motivated the intervention.

According to the BBC, the officials will have noted the way Merino’s ankle buckled during the challenge and concluded that it showed excessive force from the Chelsea midfielder. The point of contact will also have been taken into consideration.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher gave his view on the challenge and suggested that a red card was the correct decision. He said: “When you see the tackle, it is bad.

“It's a red card. All I can think is that Anthony doesn't see the point of contact. VAR has done him a massive favour because it's alerted him to have a look. He's had one look and given the red card."

READ MORE: Arsenal given new Chelsea red card verdict - 'It's reckless'

READ MORE: John Terry makes familiar Arsenal dig and delivers Moises Caicedo red card verdict

Former Premier League forward Jay Bothroyd then added: “The challenge is a red card challenge. It was aggressive, but I don't think he tried to hurt Merino. I think it was more reckless or clumsy. Anthony Taylor played advantage. He didn't look at that and think it was worthy of a yellow card.”

Enzo Maresca made his complaints about Caicedo’s red card known. Surprisingly, he believed that the dismissal was correct but claimed that his red showed a lack of consistency having seen Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur stay on the pitch against Chelsea earlier this season for a similar challenge.

Was the decision to send Caicedo off the right one? Share your thoughts in the comments below

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Maresca said: “I just said there, he asked me about Moises' red card. It's a red card, but why was Bentancur's against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away?

“So us, as a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in different way. Moises' is red card, yes. Bentancur's is a red card, yes. Why they don't give him a red card? It's just that, that we struggle to understand. The reality is that it's red card. But why they judge in different way?”

Following his red card, Caicedo will be suspended for the next three games. That means he will miss upcoming games against Leeds, Bournemouth and Everton. As it stands, Chelsea sit third in the Premier League table and six points behind current leaders Arsenal.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Foo tball content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.