MAURICIO POCHETTINO slammed VAR for damaging SEVEN aspects of football.
The Chelsea manager, 52, was left furious on Saturday evening when his side had two goals against Aston Villa chalked off by the video assistant referee at Stockley Park.
Firstly, Nicolas Jackson was just offside before racing through and finishing into the back of the net.
Then deep into injury-time, Axel Disasi thought he had completed a memorable turnaround from 2-0 down to seal a stunning 3-2 victory.
The header sparked incredible scenes between the Chelsea players and fans.
But VAR Chris Kavanagh told referee Craig Pawson to go over to the pitchside monitor to watch the replays.
And the official decided Benoit Badiashile had fouled Diego Carlos at the back post by pushing him in the back during the corner routine that led to Disasi’s header.
Pochettino, though, was livid with the controversial call – and believes VAR is wrecking multiple different aspects of the beautiful game.
The under-pressure Argentine – whose side are ninth – fumed on Match of the Day: “Well VAR changed the decision of the referee.
“That was for me a normal challenge that can happen in normal action.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
“That damaged a little bit the Premier League and its image.
“It’s damaged myself, damaged my team, damaged my players, my fans, damaged football.”
Chelsea players were seething when Pawson blew the full-time whistle, immediately racing to confront him.
Disasi, Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Moises Caicedo and Noni Madueke all made their way to the referee to make their angry feelings clear.
Badiashile and Madueke were both booked for their protests as Chelsea coaches had to calm them down and drag them away – before Pochettino walked over to remonstrate with the officials.
Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright discussed the incident in the Match of the Day studio – and were left frustrated with VAR’s intervention.
Shearer said: “When they give the foul and there’s not enough to overturn it, well it’s the opposite on this one.
By Dave Kidd
WHEN Manchester United got lucky in their FA Cup semi-final, Antony’s first instinct was to goad heartbroken opponents Coventry. To rub their noses in the dirt.
Antony seems to be a vile individual but this isn’t really about Antony. Because Antony is merely a symptom of the hideous sickness within England’s top flight.
There is so much wrong.
After our elite clubs persuaded the FA to completely scrap Cup replays — which gave us Ronnie Radford and Ricky Villa and Ryan Giggs — without due recompense or reasoning with the rest of English football.
The previous day, after his Manchester City side had defeated Chelsea in the other FA Cup semi-final, Pep Guardiola whinged about the fixture scheduling of TV companies who effectively pay much of his £20m salary.
Up at Wolves, Guardiola’s friend and rival Mikel Arteta was playing the same sad song about fixture congestion, despite his Arsenal side having played two fewer games this season than Coventry — who don’t have £50m squad players to rotate with.
Chelsea, oh Chelsea. The one-time plaything of a Russian oligarch now owned by financially incontinent venture capitalists who have piddled £1billion on a squad of players who fight like weasels in a sack about who should bask in the personal glory of scoring the penalty that puts them 5-0 up against Everton.
“I think the defender knows what he is doing. He sticks his arm out and then he’s backing into him [Badiashile].
“Once the referee gives that [the goal], I’m not 100 per cent certain, is that an absolute howler?”
Lineker answered with an emphatic “no” and suggested it was “six of one and half a dozen of the other” from Badiashile and Carlos.
Wright added: “I think he’s probably given it because of how aggressive Badiashile looks when he’s going for him.
“They’ve lowered the bar again, they do what they want.
“Let’s get rid of it! Let’s get rid of it.”
