“It damaged the image of football!” ‘Angry’ Mauricio Pochettino lashes out at VAR after Chelsea’s late winner against Aston Villa was overturned

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino didn't mince his words when talking about the disallowed goal vs Aston Villa.

“It damaged the image of football!” ‘Angry’ Mauricio Pochettino lashes out at VAR after Chelsea’s late winner against Aston Villa was overturned

Mauricio Pochettino will leave Chelsea with immediate effect (Via IMAGO)

VAR in football has been one of the most polarizing topics in the sport. From extremely controversial decisions to blatant errors, disallowed comebacks and red cards, the system in itself has flaws. However, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino felt that his side were done so wrong by VAR that he had an angry outburst after the game vs Aston Villa.

The Blues mustered an impressive comeback against the Villans after going down 2-0 to earn a 2-2 draw. However, if not for a controversial VAR decision, the game would have ended 3-2 in favor of the visitors. Looking back at the final moments of the game, Axel Disasi netted what he though was the winner against Aston Villa.

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However, the match official and VAR had other plans, as the goal was ruled out for a ‘controversial’ foul in the buildup. Mauricio Pochettino clearly wasn’t pleased with the decision, as his post-match comments reeked of frustration.

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It was a goal, unbelievable and ridiculous. Two weeks ago against Man City it was handball & no place penalty. VAR damaged English football.
Mauricio Pochettino said in a post-match press conference

A win would’ve helped Chelsea reach the 50-point mark in their season, but are now ninth and one point below West Ham United despite playing 2 games less.

Chelsea settle for ‘disappointing’ draw against Aston Villa

The Blues were evidently second best against Aston Villa at Villa Park, at least for the first half of the game. The Premier League giants found themselves trailing within 4 minutes of the start, as Marc Cucurella accidentally tumbled the ball into his own net from a grounded shot. Nicolas Jackson spurned a golden chance to bring his side level as his open header hit the post.

Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers hit Cole Palmer’s ‘cold’ celebration after scoring vs Chelsea (Via X/@AVFCOfficial)

Minutes later, Morgan Rogers stepped up to put his side in front even further, after catching Dorde Petrovic by surprise at his near post. His emphatic celebration, mimicking that of Cole Palmer immediately went viral on social media. Following the end of the second half, the visitors upped the ante and quickly found their way back into the game through Noni Madueke.

This was followed up with a beautiful curler courtesy of Conor Gallagher. On a night where Chelsea’s top scorer Cole Palmer remained silent, the captain’s goal gave his side the momentum to win it all and for a moment, everyone thought that they did so.

Disasi’s late ‘winner’ was eventually ruled out by the VAR team, citing a push on the back by Benoit Badiashile. The draw meant that Chelsea remain at ninth, even though a win would’ve seen them overtake West Ham United.

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