PGMOL has faced criticism after Declan Rice escaped punishment while Morgan Rogers was booked during Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
PGMOL slammed over controversial referee decision in Arsenal vs Chelsea
PGMOL and referee Chris Kavanagh have been heavily criticised following a controversial sequence during Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Late in the match, Declan Rice appeared to trip Morgan Rogers near the edge of the penalty area. No foul was awarded, while Rogers was later booked for his reaction.
Rice challenge sparks controversy
With Chelsea chasing an equaliser, Rogers attempted to move towards the Arsenal box before Rice appeared to catch him from behind.
Kavanagh allowed play to continue and did not award Chelsea a free-kick, immediately frustrating the visiting players and supporters.
Rogers booked after confrontation
Rogers confronted Rice after getting back to his feet and appeared to push his England teammate.
Kavanagh showed Rogers a yellow card, while Rice escaped punishment completely.
That contrast became the main focus of the post-match criticism, with some fans describing the decision as “disgusting”.
Pundits question Kavanagh’s decision
Gary Neville said he could not understand how the referee had missed the initial challenge and suggested Rogers had a legitimate reason to be angry.
Former referee Mark Halsey also argued that Rice could have been booked if the challenge was judged to have stopped a promising attack.
Under that interpretation, Chelsea should have received a free-kick and Rice could have been cautioned, while Rogers could still have been punished for his reaction.
Why VAR could not book Rice
The incident also highlighted VAR’s limitations.
VAR cannot normally intervene simply to recommend a yellow card.
If the challenge did not meet the threshold for a red card, officials could not call Kavanagh to the monitor just to book Rice. That left the original decision unchanged.
Gabriel incident adds to controversy
Earlier in the match, Gabriel Magalhaes’ high boot made contact with Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s face.
The referee showed no card, while VAR reviewed the incident for possible serious foul play.
Officials decided Gabriel was attempting to play the ball and that the challenge did not warrant a straight red card.
Because VAR could not intervene solely to award a yellow card, the Arsenal defender escaped without punishment.
Arsenal also had a goal ruled out
Arsenal were not favoured by every decision. Riccardo Calafiori had a goal disallowed after an offside was detected earlier in the move.
That decision went against Arsenal and provides some context to the wider debate over Kavanagh’s performance.
PGMOL have not apologised
Despite the criticism, PGMOL have not issued an official apology to Chelsea or admitted that Kavanagh made a major error.
There has also been no confirmed report of a formal Chelsea complaint or disciplinary action against the referee.
The controversy is therefore being driven mainly by supporters, pundits and former officials rather than an official dispute between the club and PGMOL.
Arsenal complete comeback
Rogers gave Chelsea an early lead before Arsenal responded through Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal completed a 2-1 comeback and maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season, while Chelsea suffered their first league defeat under Xabi Alonso.
Refereeing debate overshadows derby
The Rice-Rogers confrontation and Gabriel’s challenge on Martinez have left PGMOL facing renewed questions over consistency and VAR’s limitations.
However, until PGMOL officially acknowledge an error, the incidents remain matters of interpretation rather than confirmed refereeing mistakes.
