Mauricio Pochettino believes VAR is “damaging the game” after Chelsea were denied a winning goal against Aston Villa.
Axel Disasi thought he had won the game for the visitors to Villa Park only to see his stoppage-time goal chalked off following a review by the video assistant referee.
The Frenchman’s header was initially allowed to stand before VAR Chris Kavanaugh advised on-field referee Craig Pawson to review what was later ruled to be a foul by Benoit Badiashile on Diego Carlos in the build-up.
Pochettino — who had watched his side comeback from 2-0 down — was left fuming and pointed to inconsistencies with a failure to award Chelsea a penalty in the FA Cup semi-finals against Manchester City a week ago.
He believes his side were wronged and that replay interventions are impacting the game as a whole.
“Everyone that was watching the game will feel disappointed,” Pochettino told TNT Sports. “Two different things the referee said it was a foul and disallowed the goal and then going to the VAR to confirm.
Chelsea thought they’d won it before the goal was disallowed
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“The referee is unbelievable and it’s ridiculous. It is difficult to accept, these type of things in the semi-final two weeks ago it was handball and it was no penalty, the referee he didn’t check it.
“It is painful as it has damaged English football and I think Villa players and their fans didn’t understand why the goal was disallowed.
“They said it was foul and if you see the challenge what happened if we go into every single challenge like this it is going to be a foul and we wouldn’t finish the game with 11 (players).
“We can talk about the performance or the decision — it is damaging the game. I am calm and it is only to help. Now, we have to move on and it will be in the headlines with the disallowed goal.”
Chelsea — ninth in the Premier League table — are next in action against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.
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