Chelsea
How VAR and the Referee Upheld No Penalty in Newcastle v Chelsea
VAR confirmed no penalty as Chalobah’s contact was judged shielding; match in Tyneside finished 1-1.
Saturday’s lunchtime meeting between Newcastle United and Chelsea produced a high-energy, two‑halves encounter and a refereeing debate that dominated the postmatch discussion. Chelsea were blunt in the first half and could have been substantially behind at the interval, while a second-half Reece James free-kick brought the visitors back into the game. Aaron Ramsdale may feel he could have done more to keep that set-piece out.
The key controversy followed a heavy collision between Gordon and Trevoh Chalobah. Referee Andy Madley waved play on and VAR Peter Bankes reviewed the incident after an earlier semi-automated offside problem had already led to scrutiny of Woltemade’s goal. Supporters in the Gallowgate End and commentators on the TNT Sports coverage were vociferous; Ally McCoist described the challenge as “stonewall.” Joe Cole said Chalobah had been overly forceful and that it was a penalty.
VAR’s assessment was later summarised on the Premier League Match Centre’s X account: “The referee’s call of no penalty to Newcastle was checked and confirmed by VAR—with the contact from Chalobah on Gordon deemed to be side-to-side in a shielding action and the ball within playing distance.” Former referee Darren Cann echoed the view that the incident was open to interpretation. “At normal speed I can understand why the referee didn’t award a penalty. Chalobah certainly takes a risk in making such a challenge because there’s clear contact with Gordon,” he told BBC Sport. “So the decision was right to be reviewed by VAR, who came to the conclusion that a clear and obvious error had not been made and stayed with the on-field decision of no penalty. I do think that had a penalty been given, I believe the VAR would have stuck with that decision too. So this comes down to ‘referee’s call.’”
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told TNT Sports: “In my opinion, yes. I think it’s a clear penalty, I think anywhere else on the pitch that’s a free-kick, the player’s gone into Anthony aggressively, too aggressively in my opinion. I think it’s a stonewall. No, because it’s not [side by side shielding]. I think the defender’s only look is Anthony and not the ball, I think it’s too aggressive.”
Ten minutes after the incident João Pedro levelled for Chelsea with his fifth Premier League goal of the season and the match finished 1-1. The decision on the Chalobah challenge remained the defining talking point from a lively midday fixture on Tyneside.
Chelsea
Six Chelsea Players the Club Should Move On From This Summer
Chelsea’s 2025-26 season has been defined by apathy and protests; six players should be sold. Summer
Chelsea’s 2025-26 campaign has been defined by apathy and renewed protests, with BlueCo’s ownership the focus of fan ire and co-owner Behdad Eghbali admitting a change of strategy could be in order. Supporters are tired of drift and, regardless of the route the club takes next, there are several squad figures who no longer look part of Chelsea’s long-term plan.
Robert Sánchez has delivered moments of quality, including in the FA Cup semifinal victory over Leeds United, and has produced runs of form that convinced some he might be the long-term option. Statistically he has had a fine Premier League season. However, unforced errors and lapses in possession persist and the article argues he remains upgradeable. “If Mike Maignan is on the table again, you go and get him. There’s no point keeping your current No. 1 around in that event. That’s avoidable tension.” He is probably a Premier League starter elsewhere, but Chelsea have loftier ambitions.
Wesley Fofana was signed for as much as $95 million (£70 million) in 2022 but has yet to justify that fee. Injuries have disrupted his time in west London and, even fit for much of 2025-26, he has struggled with discipline. Trevoh Chalobah has outperformed him and could be Levi Colwill’s partner for 2026–27. Chelsea should consider offers before contract conversations become awkward.
Benoît Badiashile has seldom been a regular starter. The ex-Monaco centre back failed to earn Enzo Maresca’s trust and much of his action was limited to the Conference League last season. A brief upsurge under Liam Rosenior fizzled out and, at 25, he faces a crossroads.
Among the wide players, Pedro Neto offered energy and impressed in the FA Cup but remains part of a collection of wingers described as largely mediocre. Alejandro Garnacho, signed last summer for $54 million (£40 million) on a seven-year deal, has 12 goal contributions this season but has not evolved consistently since his breakthrough and can be frustrating outside transition moments.
Marc Guiu, still only 20, was recalled from a planned 2025–26 loan to Sunderland and has operated as a third-choice centre forward at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea took a flyer on him in 2024. He has produced very little of note and would likely benefit from a fresh start elsewhere.
Chelsea
Why Calvert-Lewin Was Cleared After a Hair-contact Review and Why Martínez’s Appeal Failed
Calvert-Lewin cleared after VAR review for contact on Cucurella; Martínez appeal was rejected. Read.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin faced no sanction after an apparent hair contact on Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella during the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley. The incident, which occurred midway through the first half, showed downward contact from Calvert-Lewin’s hand to Cucurella’s long, curly hair. Cucurella immediately grabbed the back of his head.
Referee Jarred Gillett did not issue a decision at the time and the match was paused for VAR official Paul Howard to check the footage. Calvert-Lewin was cleared after the review. TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher, who had real-time access to the VAR process and conversation, relayed that the contact was from “the flat of the hand” rather than a clenched fist.
The episode invited comparison with an earlier case involving Lisandro Martínez. Only two days before the Chelsea–Leeds semi, a regulatory commission acting for the FA published written reasons for denying Martínez’s appeal against a red card and three-match ban. Interim Manchester United manager Michael Carrick called that decision at the time “one of the worst” he’s ever seen. The club had lodged an appeal arguing that Martínez was the victim of wrongful dismissal and that the ban was “excessive.”
The commission rejected the appeal. It said it did not feel “with any confidence” that the “force exerted” by Martínez on Calvert-Lewin’s hair/scalp was “negligible.” The panel took into account Calvert-Lewin’s reaction, which it said “suggested that he had felt a certain amount of force exerted upon his hair/scalp.” On that basis the commission concluded the VAR interpretation of the Martínez incident was “reasonable” and therefore not an “obvious error.” The match-day announcement that followed the Martínez review had been: “After review, Manchester United 6 is guilty of pulling his hair – violent conduct. Final decision is red card.”
The contrasting outcomes have left Manchester United fans unsettled and prompted wider questions about consistency in officiating in England. The draft also notes that a clear hair pull from Fulham’s Kenny Tete on Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo in February went unpunished.
Chelsea
Chelsea under BlueCo: ranking the five managers who served more than 10 games
BlueCo era at Chelsea ranked: five managers with more than 10 games, judged by record. Full breakdown
The BlueCo period at Chelsea has been defined by instability in the dugout and the steady turnover of managers. With Liam Rosenior the latest to lose the job, the club will begin 2026–27 with a sixth permanent manager under BlueCo. Below are the five bosses who managed more than 10 matches in that era, assessed on results and the lasting imprint of their tenures.
Frank Lampard (Games Managed: 11 | Winning Percentage: 9.1% | Trophies Won: 0)
Frank Lampard’s second spell as caretaker in 2022–23 stands in stark contrast to his earlier success. He had “overcoming a transfer ban to lead the Blues to the Champions League in 2019–20,” but his interim run in April produced Chelsea’s worst recent form. Lampard became the first and only manager in Chelsea’s history to lose the opening four games of his tenure. A 3–1 win against Bournemouth was the lone victory of his caretaker spell and the campaign finished with Chelsea 12th in the Premier League, their lowest top-flight finish since 1994.
Liam Rosenior (Games Managed: 23 | Winning Percentage: 47.8% | Trophies Won: 0)
Rosenior’s period began promisingly, with four consecutive Premier League wins and two Champions League victories that helped Chelsea qualify among the top eight in the group stage. The form collapsed thereafter: apart from FA Cup ties against lower-league opponents, Chelsea won just one of their last 11 matches under Rosenior. The team failed to score against a top-flight opponent in each of their last six games with him in charge. After Enzo Fernández scored a momentary equalizer in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea were outscored 17–0 by top-flight rivals until Rosenior’s sacking.
Graham Potter (Games Managed: 31 | Winning Percentage: 38.7% | Trophies Won: 0)
Potter, the first permanent BlueCo appointment, was unable to steady the side after Thomas Tuchel’s departure. Chelsea won seven of the 22 Premier League matches Potter oversaw and he left with a joint-lowest points-per-game record for managers with more than 20 league matches at 1.27, tied with Glenn Hoddle. After winning just four matches after the calendar turned to 2023, Potter was dismissed in early April while the club endured its most difficult season of the 21st century. He did reach the Champions League quarterfinals during his tenure.
Taken together, the five tenures reveal a period of repeated disruption and mixed short-term flashes amid extended poor runs of form.
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