Referee spares Chelsea blushes in defensive mix-up against Burnley

Chelsea avoided what would have been an embarrassing moment against Burnley thanks to the goodwill of referee Peter Bankes.

Enzo Maresca’s side were locked in an attritional battle with the Clarets at Turf Moor in Saturday’s early kick-off, with half an hour on the clock.

Neither side had managed to put any real pressure on the opposition’s goal, but that almost changed for the worse from Chelsea’s point of view, with a moment of madness from a goal kick.

Chelsea almost gift Burnley a penalty from nothing

The ball had gone out for a Chelsea goal kick, and the visitors were setting up for the restart when they almost gift-wrapped an opportunity from the spot for Burnley.

We’re accustomed these days to short set-pieces putting sides in danger, but Trevoh Chalobah almost did so under absolutely no pressure from the opposition.

As is now common, the centre-back placed himself on the edge of the six-yard box, close to goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, and the gloveman, with the ball stopped, duly appeared to play a short pass along the ground to his colleague.

Then, inexplicably, Chalobah stopped the ball with his hand to commence the dead-ball situation.

Justifiably, the Burnley contingent waiting around the edge of the penalty area felt Sanchez had already done so with his pass, and as such appealed furiously for a penalty for Chalobah’s alleged handball.

“I tell you what…” was TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher’s exasperated response on seeing a replay of the incident, suggesting Chelsea may have got away with one.

But get away with it they did, as Bankes showed no interest in Burnley’s appeals, with Chelsea going up the other end and netting the opener through Pedro Neto minutes later.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Chelsea got lucky here.

Bankes gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it certainly looked like Sanchez thought he had restarted the game, based on how he shaped up before and after the pass.

Had the referee seen it differently, it would undoubtedly have been one of the most embarrassing ways a Premier League team had given away a penalty in some time.

And given the hosts went in at the break a goal down, they may have a few complaints.