Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand was left baffled by the decision not to send off Nicolas Jackson in Chelsea 's defeat at Arsenal.
Just nine minutes in, with the score at 1-0 to the Gunners, Jackson appeared to go in high on Takehiro Tomiyasu's shins. The Senegal striker went unpunished, though, with not even a yellow card coming his way.
Ultimately, the decision from referee Simon Hooper had little impact on the match. Four goals in 20 second-half minutes - two apiece for Ben White and Kai Havertz - put Arsenal out of sight after Leandro Trossard's early opener and helped them wrap up a 5-0 win.
When it was still to play for at the break, though, there were questions over whether Chelsea might benefit from Jackson staying involved. Ferdinand assessed the incident in the TNT Sports Studio at half-time and was almost lost for words.
"We all couldn’t believe it was not looked at by VAR," the 45-year-old said. "We couldn’t believe it. We have seen so many instances this season as bad, if not even anywhere near as bad as this.
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"You think to yourself wow, they have been sent off and they have not even looked at it. It was a reckless challenge I thought. I would love them to come and explain that to me, please."
Jackson, a summer signing from Villarreal, was booked five times in his first six Premier League appearances for Chelsea. However, he has earned just four yellow cards in the months since.
Should Nicolas Jackson have been sent off? Have your say in the comments section
Arsenal didn't need an extra man to win (AFP via Getty Images)A number of fans following the game on social media felt Jackson deserved a read. "Shouldn’t be on that pitch after this," wrote one, while another asked "How is this not at least a yellow?".
Thankfully from Arsenal's perspective, the decision had little immediate bearing. Tomiyasu was able to continue, while Mikel Arteta's side ran away with the game after the break.
The victory for the Gunners was enough to lift them three points clear at the top of the Premier League table, though their closest challengers have at least one game in hand. Liverpool take on Everton on Wednesday, while the first of Manchester City's games in hand comes 24 hours after that against Brighton.
Arsenal themselves return to action on Sunday, with a potentially crucial North London Derby against Tottenham. Chelsea still have a chance to qualify for Europe despite their defeat, and their next game comes against Champions League chasing Aston Villa on Saturday night.
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