Arsenal strolled to a 5-0 victory over Chelsea, but whilst the game was a fairly straightforward one, it was not without its moments of controversy.
Chelsea did find space in behind on the counterattack on several occasions in the first half, whilst Arsenal missed a number of chances after Leandro Trossard’s opening goal.
Arsenal did eventually add to their lead and seal a comfortable victory, but it could have been even worse for the visitors as striker Nicolas Jackson was arguably lucky to escape a red card.
The striker left defender Takehiro Tomiyasu on the ground after a challenge which saw him go in studs up on the Arsenal star’s shin, and he was surprisingly not even shown a yellow card for the tackle.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has now slammed the decision, and called for a rule change to be able to enforce yellow cards with VAR.
READ MORE: The 8 worst Arsenal VAR decisions of all time in Premier League games
Rio Ferdinand slams Nicolas Jackson tackle on Takehiro Tomiyasu in Arsenal win vs Chelsea
Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, Ferdinand expressed his shock that Jackson did not receive a card for his reckless challenge.
“This was a reckless challenge. We all couldn’t believe it wasn’t even looked at by VAR. We couldn’t believe it,” he stated.
“We’ve seen so many incidents this season as bad, or not even anywhere near as bad as this, and you think to yourself, wow, they’ve been sent off.
When asked about potentially changing VAR rules to enforce yellow cards, Ferdinand was in favour.
“That’s where a rule change needs to happen then… Because you can’t say that [challenge from Jackson on Tomiyasu] is OK. That’s reckless!”
Nicolas Jackson deserved at least a yellow card for Tomiyasu tackle in Arsenal vs Chelsea
The on-field referee decided not to give a yellow card for Jackson’s challenge initially, and VAR confirmed that it was not a clear and obvious red card.
However, Ferdinand’s point is correct that VAR could be changed to intervene in yellow card offences. Jackson’s reckless challenge was deserving of a yellow, but he managed to escape one, which allowed him to play on as normal and continue to compete in aggressive duels.
Jackson gave William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes something of a tough time during the first half with his movement, but a yellow card may have made him play with a bit more caution, and if he had scored, his tackle on Tomiyasu may have been further highlighted as a game-changing moment.