Enzo Maresca voiced his frustration regarding inconsistent officiating following Moisés Caicedo’s dismissal for Chelsea and the fact that Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié avoided a sending-off during a fiercely contested 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
While Maresca conceded that Caicedo deserved the red card for a reckless challenge on Mikel Merino halfway through the first period, the Italian boss nonetheless felt aggrieved. He contrasted the decision with Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur, who avoided being sent off for a poor tackle on a Chelsea player early in November, and he was equally resolute when informed about Reece James’ assertion that Arsenal should have been reduced to ten men after Hincapié left Trevoh Chalobah with bruising around the eye in an aerial contest.
“I believe Reece is correct,” Maresca stated. “However, the decisions are theirs. He questioned me about Moi’s red card. It is a red card, but why wasn’t Bentancur’s challenge on Reece a red card when we played them away at Spurs? As managers, we find it difficult to comprehend why they apply different standards. Moi’s is undeniably a red card. Bentancur’s challenge also warrants a red card, yes. So why did they refrain from issuing him one?
“It’s challenging for us to grasp. The reality is that it’s a red card situation. But why the disparity in judgment? Regarding the incident with Trevoh, I queried the referee, and he informed me it was not deemed an elbow. That is their stated reasoning. [Trevoh] ended up with a black eye and required ice at the interval. Yet, the judgment applied was different.”
Maresca expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance following the loss of Caicedo, who is now anticipated to miss matches against Leeds, Bournemouth, and Everton. Nevertheless, they couldn’t reduce Arsenal’s lead at the summit to only three points after taking a 1-0 advantage through a goal from Chalobah. Merino salvaged a point for the visitors and felt fortunate that the Chelsea player’s tackle did not result in a severe injury.
“I felt my ankle completely give way, but fortunately, my ankles are quite flexible,” the Arsenal player remarked. “I was aware it was a terrible foul and certainly merited a red card.”
Mikel Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal, playing without injured centre-backs Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba, failed to take full advantage of having an extra player. Part of the reason, according to Arsenal’s manager, was Chelsea’s apparent effort to secure further dismissals after Caicedo was sent off.
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