The 12 Anthony Taylor decisions that angered Chelsea fans as referee demoted from Premier League.
More than 160,000 Chelsea supporters, and possibly even more, celebrated the recent news of demotion of Premier League referee Anthony Taylor from top-flight action. Taylor, who has been a Premier League official since 2010, will not be officiating in the Premier League this weekend.
The decision to demote Anthony Taylor follows a controversial incident during the Wolves vs. Newcastle United clash last weekend. Taylor was the referee for the match, during which Newcastle United was awarded a penalty when Hwang Hee-chan was believed to have fouled Fabian Schar while attempting to clear the ball.
Liverpool continue Mbappe chase; Man Utd’s Vinicius Junior offer, See details
Replays of the incident showed that Hwang had pulled out of the tackle, raising questions about the decision. However, VAR did not overturn the on-field decision, leading to Callum Wilson converting the spot-kick and the match ending in a 2-2 draw.
The controversial decision sparked outrage among football pundits, with many arguing that it was not a foul. As a result, Anthony Taylor will not be officiating in the Premier League this weekend. Instead, he is scheduled to oversee a Championship fixture between Preston and Coventry on Saturday, marking his first time officiating in the second tier since 2019.
Chelsea Fans Rejoice as Premier League Referee Anthony Taylor Is Demoted
This news has been welcomed by Chelsea supporters who had previously called for Taylor to be excluded from refereeing Chelsea matches. A petition on Change.org was initiated in August last year after a match between Chelsea and Tottenham ended in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The contentious incident in that match involved Harry Kane’s equalizer deep into stoppage time. It followed a foul by Cristian Romero, who pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair, a decision that was neither given nor overturned by VAR. Notably, the then-VAR official, Mike Dean, later admitted to regretting the decision.
The petition on Change.org has garnered support from more than 160,000 individuals, with Chelsea fans listing 12 different incidents in which they believe Anthony Taylor made incorrect calls during their matches. These incidents range from red cards and fouls to handballs and offside decisions.
12 Decisions Anthony Taylor made that angered Chelsea fans.
Here are the 12 decisions that Chelsea fans listed in the petition regarding referee Anthony Taylor’s calls during their matches:
- Kovacic red card in FA Cup Final
- Maguire stamp on Batshuayi
- Gazzaniga kick on Alonso
- Romero pulling Cucurella’s hair
- Reece James ‘handball’ vs Liverpool.
- Sanchez handball in FA Cup final
- Azpilicueta ‘push’
- Maguire hold on Azpilicueta
- Lo Celso stamp on Azpilicueta, no red
- Giroud ‘offside’ vs United
- Werner no foul/penalty vs City
- Emi Martinez handball outside the box, not penalised
55 Amazing Facts About Neymar: All You Should Know
These were the incidents that contributed to Chelsea fans’ dissatisfaction with Anthony Taylor’s officiating.
While Taylor’s demotion may appease Chelsea fans, it also serves as a testament to the increasing scrutiny and accountability placed on match officials in the modern era of football.
