Cesar Azpilicueta urges referees to use pitchside monitors after Chelsea denied penalty at Man United
The Spaniard was wrestled to the ground by Harry Maguire but no penalty was awarded
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Your support makes all the difference.Cesar Azpilicueta praised the defensive resilience of his team after a 0-0 draw with Manchester United on Saturday, but says he was left with a lingering feeling that Chelsea could have done more to take the points.
Having conceded three to each of West Brom and Southampton recently, a Premier League clean sheet was welcome for the Blues, but Azpilicueta felt they might have taken more initiative to force the issue.
Of particular regret was a potential penalty decision which went the way of United, after Azpilicueta was held down by Harry Maguire as the duo challenged for an aerial ball in the United box - and the Spanish defender feels Chelsea might have been awarded a spot-kick had the referee taken the decision to consult the pitchside monitor.
“On the pitch I felt yes [it was a penalty] as I was in front and felt [Maguire’s] arm around my neck and shoulders,” he said to Sky Sports at full-time.
"The referee can make the decision, the VAR is there but I encourage more the referee to go to the [pitchside] monitor.
“The main referee has to take the decisions and he has to go to the monitor to help. Why not take 10-20 seconds to review it? For me it’s a little improvement which could help a lot.”
On the game itself, United created more chances worthy of the name, but most were long-range efforts were well-saved by Edouard Mendy.
It was the Chelsea 'keeper who actually came closest to opening the scoring with a wayward pass which nearly went into his own net - and Azpilicueta noted that Chelsea lacked cutting edge in attack.
"I have the feeling we could have done more. We found spaces but didn’t create that last pass or pick the right decision. We defended solid, they had one save from Edouard in the first half and one mistake from us, but we could have got more from today.
“It was an even game, for moments we had spells and controlled better in the first half; in the second we rushed it, didn’t move the ball good enough to create the space. That meant we lost control. Solidity and a great effort from everyone is important, but we want more.”
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