Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1211889
21 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 FEBRUARY 2020 SPORTS FOOTBALL CHELSEA boss Frank Lampard again hit out at VAR, insisting the technology should have sent off Harry Maguire during Manchester United's 2-0 victory at Stam- ford Bridge. Lampard lamented "confusing" Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions after Maguire avoided punishment for kick- ing Michy Batshuayi in the groin - watch below - before the United skipper then thumped in a second-half header to seal the victory. Anthony Martial also scored for United as they recorded a first league double over Chelsea for 32 years. To add to Lampard's woes Kurt Zouma and Olivier Giroud saw goals chalked off by VAR official Chris Kavanagh. At 2-0 down substitute Giroud's foot was offside and correctly ruled out, however Zouma's volley from a corner, which at the time would have made it 1-1, was far more controversial. The equaliser was chalked off as Cesar Azpilicueta was adjudged to have pushed Brandon Williams over before Zouma volleyed home. However replays showed the Chelsea man was actually pushed into Williams by Fred. Lampard said: "Maguire should get a red card and then he scores the second goal, and the game changes from that. "That's a major part of what VAR was for. The referee can't see all the angles and if you're not going to use the pitchside mon- itor, I don't understand it. "The Zouma goal should have stood. Az- pilicueta gets shoved in the first place. It's certainly not clear and obvious. "The Maguire one, it's just a wrong de- cision isn't it, which is harder to take with the presence of VAR than it would have been before. "Love it or hate it, if something happens and they don't make the right decision, it's very confusing to say the least. Everyone I've spoken to has said the same thing." Maguire defended his actions, stating he 'instinctively' pushed out his leg to try and stop Batshuayi falling on him. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game Maguire said: "I can see why it looked bad, I know I caught him but I thought he was going to fall on me. My natural reaction was to straighten my leg, obviously I've got studs on my boots and it probably looks worse than it was, on TV, but it was just my natural reaction. "It wasn't a kick-out, there was no in- tent, and if he fell to hold him up. I knew I caught him, I knew at the time, but I thought it was the right decision. It was definitely worrying during the review, but I never meant to hurt or kick him." Frank Lampard 'confused' by VAR as Harry Maguire avoids sending off Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi gets a close up example of Harry Maguire's leg strength