- Referee Rob Jones opted to hand out only a yellow card after reviewing the incident.
- Chelsea were left with a single point after being tested by the Cherries.
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Fans were left perplexed by the bizarre three-word message VAR Graham Scott gave to referee Rob Jones after the referee rejected the decision to review the red card for the first time in Premier League history during the Chelsea clash with Bournemouth.
Chelsea had taken the lead at Stamford Bridge during the first half following a sumptuous goal from Cole Palmer in the opening 15 minutes, but were stopped by Bournemouth after Justin Kluivert scored a penalty five minutes after the restart.
As the hosts attempted to regain the lead, Marc Cucurella, on the left wing, was set to push forward the attack, but was brought down by David Brookes in his own half with a tackle that appeared to involve the Bournemouth midfielder pulling the Spanish international's hair. .
While commentators compared the gesture to a wrestling action with a clothesline, Jones did not originally punish the incident, but was instead advised by the VAR team to consult the pitch monitor about possible violent conduct.
After a long wait in west London, Jones only showed Brooks a yellow card, rejecting the team's guidance at Stockley Park after being sent to the monitor for the first time.
But while partisan supporters in the stands were enraged – or relieved – those watching at home and enjoying Martin Tyler's commentary were confused by his repetition of Scott's words to Jones after he had made his decision.
Marc Cucurella appeared to be knocked down by a challenge from David Brooks who pulled his hair (ringed incident)
Initially, referee Rob Jones did not sanction the Bournemouth player as Chelsea argued for his expulsion.
Jones was sent to the monitor by VAR Graham Scott, but opted not to hand out a red at first.
Scott is believed to have told Jones “it's your gift,” a cryptic message that left some wondering about the decision-making process.
In a statement issued after the decision, the PGMOL said: “The VAR recommended an on-field review for a possible red card to Brooks for violent conduct.”
“Upon review, the referee considered that the challenge to Cucurella was a reckless action and not violent conduct, and issued a yellow card to Brooks.”
But Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was shocked after the final whistle that the Cherries had not been forced to lose a man down and branded the challenge “dangerous”.
“When there is no intention to catch the ball, it is red,” Maresca said. 'They gave yellow, then something happened.
'How can they judge that it was not dangerous? In my opinion, it is red. “Hopefully we can have better luck with the referee in the future.”
Cucurella has been the subject of similar dark arts by rival players in the past, with Southampton's Jack Stephen's sent off during Chelsea's 5-1 thrashing of the south coast side just last month.
As on Tuesday night, referee Tony Harrington was sent to the monitor on the recommendation of VAR officials after missing the incident, but was shown a red card in that case.
Instead, Brooks received a yellow card for “reckless conduct” rather than violent conduct.
Cucurella has already been a victim of similar dark arts, such as the sending off of Jack Stephens at Southampton.
The Euro 2024 winner also saw his hair pulled out by Cristian Romero during an intense 2022 clash with city rivals Tottenham, although the Spurs player was not penalized after VAR Mike Dean failed to send the referee Anthony Taylor to the monitor.
Dean has since admitted that he “regretted” not performing the intervention after re-watching the footage.
After the incident, Bournemouth increased their tally with a goal from Antoine Semenyo that seemed to confirm that the visitors would walk away with all three points as the tie approached injury time.
However, Chelsea were able to regain a point thanks to the return of captain Reece James, whose free kick helped level the score and save his team's blushes as the hosts narrowly missed defeat.
Maresca's side will look for their first win in five Premier League games on Monday against Wolves in a bid to consolidate their now shakier position in the top four.