Mauricio Pochettino is certain that Chelsea should have received a penalty in their FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City.
Chelsea were left to regret missed opportunities after a late Bernardo Silva goal sent City to back-to-back finals at the expense of the Blues.
Pochettino’s team played very well but struggled to score, though they may have deserved a chance to score in the second half.
In the 55th minute, Cole Palmer took a free-kick, which hit Jack Grealish’s arm in the wall and deflected just wide of the post.
Surprisingly, referee Michael Oliver completely missed that the ball touched a City player and awarded a goal kick instead of a corner, much to the disbelief of Chelsea’s players and coaching staff.
However, the incident should arguably have resulted in a penalty – albeit a tough call – with Pochettino quickly indicating to the officials what had occurred.
VAR quickly reviewed the play but did not award the penalty, and a frustrated Pochettino expressed his displeasure in his post-match press conference.
When asked if he thought it was a penalty, the manager responded: ‘I don’t know. I think you had a better view.
‘From the touchline, it was difficult to see if it was a penalty. I was talking [to the referee] because after Jesus [Perez, Chelsea assistant manager] and my staff said it was a penalty.
‘I only said to him, “Why not go and check the penalty on the TV?”.
‘I think from what I saw, [he nods his head to say it was a penalty], but move on.’
The outcome means Chelsea will go without a trophy for the second consecutive season, while Pochettino’s quest for silverware in England continues.
His goal now will be to secure Chelsea’s spot in Europe, with the club currently ninth in the Premier League but just three points behind Newcastle in sixth. However, their next match poses a tough challenge away to league leaders Arsenal.
‘Now we are going to play Tuesday against a very good team in Arsenal,’ Pochettino added.
‘We need to be ready. Like Man City, there’s not enough time to feel good and recover for us on Tuesday. I am happy with the way we are evolving.’
