Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter has commented that Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana was fortunate to escape a booking following a purposeful stamp on Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.
Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, with Mikel Merino scoring the decisive goal via a header in the 20th minute.
Aside from a moment of uncertainty from goalkeeper David Raya, Arsenal maintained control throughout the match. They could have extended their lead had Leandro Trossard been more clinical in front of goal.
The derby also featured several other noteworthy incidents, including Fofana’s actions, which could have resulted in a red card for his intentional stamp on Rice.
Although VAR upheld referee Chris Kavanagh’s ruling, Winter expressed to Grosvenor Sport that Fofana was “very lucky,” as his contact with Rice appeared to be “deliberate.”
He said: “As for the Fofana incident, he stood on a player who was lying on the floor and escaped punishment.
“To be quite honest, I thought he was very lucky because it appeared that he knew exactly what he was doing.
“There was no force—he just sort of placed his foot on Rice—but you could tell by the look on his face that it was deliberate. We can see that on television, but maybe the referee didn’t.
“So, I do think Fofana was lucky to avoid further action.”
Fofana committed multiple fouls during the London derby and was ultimately cautioned for attempting to delay the game during a throw-in. The referee, Kavanagh, showed a degree of leniency towards the French player.
On another occasion, the 24-year-old might have been sent off early in the match. However, this did not affect the outcome, as Arsenal secured their first win in four league matches.
Additionally, Arsenal maintained their superiority over Chelsea, achieving their fifth victory in seven encounters. They have not suffered a league defeat against their London rivals since August 2021.
Currently, the Gunners find themselves 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool, with nine matches remaining in the season.
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