Premier League legends Chelsea and Liverpool both dealt a significant blow in the title race as they played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday night. The stalemate left the second-placed hosts 10 points behind league leader Manchester City, with the Reds playing fewer games than both of their title contenders.
Notably, all four goals came in the first half, with fine finishes from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah extending Liverpool’s lead. Matteo Kovacic’s stunner helped the hosts bounce back into the game and level with Christian Pulisic just before half time.
The high-octane game was not devoid of drama. Anger flared up in the Blues camp after Mane’s early red-card escape for an elbow attempt on Cesar Azpilicueta. The Reds’ forward was booked in the first minute of the game after his arm caught the defender in the face, but Mane escaped with only a yellow card and later netted the opener at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues captain was disappointed with the referee’s soft decision and said that Liverpool’s Senegal should have been ordered to proceed.
“It’s a clear red. I don’t mind if it’s five seconds into the game, it’s first action and it’s a clear red,” Goal.com told Azpilicueta while speaking to Sky Sports after the full-time whistle. quoted.
“He (Mane) doesn’t look at the ball, he just wants to lead with the elbow. I honestly don’t understand it,” he said. “We have made these kinds of decisions recently. The other day, we had two penalties where VAR was not used,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel agreed with his defender, saying, “I am not a friend of the starting red card. I hate to say this because I love Mane and he is a good guy and a top player.” But it is a red card.
Received a yellow card in just 20 seconds, Mane became the fastest-booked player in the history of the competition since the 2006–07 season. Had he received a red-card, the Senegalese international would have made history with the fastest Premier League booking ever.
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