Mike Dean has not been allocated a VAR game for any game week 3 Premier League fixture following Chelsea vs Tottenham controversy but the same cannot be said for Anthony Taylor.
The pair had come under severe criticism for their decisions on Kai Havertz, Marc Cucurella and Richarlison respectively. Three decisions that went against Chelsea and resulted in the Lilywhites being able to commit and snatch and grab type of draw from Stamford Bridge. It wasn't just the decisions on the pitch that were the main talking points though of the pair, which drew criticism from a couple of their former refereeing colleagues.
The Richarlison and Havertz call led to the first bust-up on the sidelines between Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel. They were involved in two bust-ups that the FA have deemed breached rule E3 of their code. Tuchel's anger spilt over too into the post-match press conference where he made comments about both their roles in determining the outcome of the result.
READ MORE: Former Premier League star slams Anthony Taylor for Richarlison call during Chelsea vs Tottenham
"Today? Absolutely, he replied when asked about whether his had a problem with Taylor who is regarded as one of the top referees in the PGMOL pool. “I don’t think just some of the fans think that. I can assure you the whole dressing room of us, every single person, thinks that. I can’t understand how the first goal is not offside and I can’t understand when a player is pulled by their hair, the other player stays on the pitch. Pull someone else’s hair, stay on the pitch and attack the last corner. This is for me without any explanation and I don’t want to accept it. Both goals should not stand and it’s a fair result because we were brilliant, deserved to win. This is my point of view.”
He then weighed on whether he wants to see Taylor banned from future Chelsea games amid petition pressure which is likely won't make the required difference, as per the Daily Mail. Tuchel added: “Maybe it would be better. Maybe it would be better. But honestly, we also have VAR to help make the right decision. Since when can players be pulled by hair? Since when is that [not a foul]? If he does not see it, I do not blame him. I didn’t see it. But we have people at VAR who check this. Then you see it and how can this not be a free kick and a red card? This doesn’t even have to do with the referee in this case. If he does not see something, that’s why we have people to check if there is a decisive error going on.”
Luckily from Tuchel's perspective, neither Taylor or Dean will be involved in their game week 3 fixture at Elland Road. The former of the pair has been allocated West Ham vs Brighton whilst Mike Dean has not been allocated any VAR duties for this upcoming weekend.
Is this a way of the Premier League punishing him for his lack of usage of the technology when it came to the Cucurella hair pull which went completely unnoticed?
Chelsea fans - How do you feel about the fact that both Anthony Taylor and Mike Dean will referee and be in charge of VAR for more Blues fixtures this season? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
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