VAR the highlight as Chelsea and Arsenal play out scoreless draw in first leg
It’s going to be all to play for between Chelsea and Arsenal in their League Cup semi final second leg.
The sides played out a scoreless draw in this evening’s first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea could have broken the deadlock on a number of occasions, with Victor Moses hitting the post in the first half, and Andreas Christiansen heading over the bar from close range shortly after the break.
The tie will be decided in two weeks from tonight, when they meet at the Emirates Stadium for their second leg.
The major talking points of the game surrounded the use of the Video Assistant Referee which was used for a second time in English football.
VAR can be used in decisions relating to the awarding of goals, penalty kicks, the issuing of straight red cards and cases of mistaken identity.
Here’s when the technology was consulted at Stamford Bridge.
:: 29 mins - Referee Martin Atkinson appeared to consulted the VAR after Calum Chambers and Cesar Azpilicueta jostled for position ahead of a corner. Chambers appeared to shove the Chelsea defender, who performed a backwards roll and appealed. It appeared Atkinson consulted VAR Neil Swarbrick before calling both players over and issuing a ticking-off.
:: 39 mins - Atkinson appeared to speak into his headset to consult the VAR again after Ainsley Maitland-Niles hurdled Victor Moses in the Chelsea penalty area. Replays showed no contact, so no spot-kick, and that the Arsenal man was taking evasive action, rather than trying to deceive the official.
:: 88 mins - Atkinson consulted Swarbrick after 88 minutes ahead of a Chelsea corner, after Danny Welbeck had beaten Cesc Fabregas to the ball, with the latter going down in the box. No penalty.
