Chelsea’s draw with Arsenal was filled with refereeing controversy, but should the Blues’ opener be canceled due to another subjective offside in the Premier League?
Trevo Chalobah put 10-man Chelsea ahead in the second half by flicking in Reece James’ corner-kick – but did Enzo Fernandes play a big role in the ball coming in from an offside position?
Chelsea’s number eight was ahead of the play when Charova flicked the ball on, and although Fernandes did not touch the ball, he appeared to be affecting Cristian Mosquera’s ability to clear the ball off his line.
Fernandes was in an offside position when Charova flicked the ball
Fernandes played a big role in Cristian Mosquera’s ability to clear the ball off the line.
Under the rules of the IFAB (International Football Association Board), the law makers of the game, a player can be found offside if:
Preventing an opponent from playing the ball, challenging an opponent for the ball, or taking any obvious action that clearly affects an opponent’s ability to play the ball.
Fernandes’ actions call into question all three of these criteria. Sky Sports News has contacted PGMOL for comment.
Mosquera’s right hand is technically equivalent to Fernandes’, but in soccer you cannot gain an advantage by using your hands, and the rules of the game state that the hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeeper, are not considered offside.
Mosquera’s hands are in line with Fernandes’s, but his hands and arms are not included in the offside ruling.
Instead, offside is determined at the sleeve line. And Fernandez appears to be ahead of Mosquera.
The arm is not used when offside and the referee checks the arm from the sleeve line – as in the Newcastle vs Man City example.
The incident follows a string of subjective offside decisions in the Premier League. Virgil van Dijk’s goal for Liverpool against Man City was ruled out after Andy Robertson was adjudged to have influenced the play from an offside position without touching the ball.
And two weeks later, Murillo’s goal against Liverpool against Nottingham Forest was disallowed by VAR despite Dan Ndoye being in an offside position. The goal was allowed because it was determined that Ndoye was not in front of Alisson.
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Virgil van Dijk’s goal against Manchester City was ruled out for offside in front of the keeper, but Murillo’s goal against Nottingham Forest was ruled out!
So did the officials miss an important decision that could affect this season’s title race?
