It’s fair to say there was a bit of controversy in Chelsea’s Champions League game against Rennes on Wednesday night.
The Blues walked away with all three points and a 3-0 win, and yet the result could have been different had there not been the rather contentious decision to send Dalbert off for a seemingly harsh handball on top of awarding the Premier League side a second penalty.
Even the English media scratched their head at it, but it was Nicolas Holvek, the French club’s president, who had the strongest words.
Relayed by L’Equipe, he told RMC Sport: “The referee is man of the match. Someone will have to explain the rule to me when the ball touches Dalbert’s foot before his arm. The result, it’s the referee’s fault. Even the English media are unanimous in saying it’s a small scandal”.
The fact this decision was checked and double checked by VAR while Kurt Zouma’s apparent handball in the seventh minute wasn’t also left Rennes’ manager, Julien Stéphan, a bit confused.
He told L’Equipe: “I don’t want to go down the conspiracy theory route, but it’s true we’re frustrated. What happened [yesterday] is very surprising. I don’t think it would have happened on the other side of the pitch”.
As for the team ratings, the worst players on the pitch (other than Dalbert, who wasn’t given a score) was Mason Mount and Martin Terrier with a three, while Timo Werner, who scored both penalties, was given a strong seven.
Hakim Ziyech was given a four, while Tammy Abraham, Jorginho and both centre-backs were handed fives.
As for Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kanté and Ben Chilwell, their sixes represent a good game, without ever excelling, as they simply did the job asked of them.
It may have been a big win, but it doesn’t seem like L’Equipe were particularly impressed by what they saw.
