Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah slams referee over Naby Keita tackle

Chelsea were beaten on penalties after an exciting match ended goalless in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon.

However, a decision that could have certainly affected the outcome of the game was referee Stuart Attwell’s choice not to book Naby Keita for his challenge on Trevoh Chalobah.

The Liverpool midfielder completely missed the ball and instead wounded Chalobah on his inner thigh.

The challenge sparked debate from pundits and fans, with many claiming Keita should have been sent off, but the 27-year-old wasn’t even shown a yellow card.

After receiving six stitches to heal his wound, Chalobah shared his anger at Attwell’s decision on Twitter.

Alongside a clip of the tackle, Chalobah tweeted: “Had to get stitches because of this. Referee is right there I don’t get it??”

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has backed Chalobah, claiming Liverpool should have been down to ten men after Keita ‘endangered’ the defender.

After the game, Hasselbaink told Sky Sports: “I’m surprised nothing has been said about it.

“We are now looking at it but for me Keita’s movement, he slows down, then he goes for the tackle.

“They both go for it but Keita totally misses the ball. If you look here he totally misses the ball and hits the player really hard.

“For me, that is endangering the opposition. Endangering the player and that should be a red card. I don’t understand that the referee didn’t see it.

“I don’t understand at all that VAR has not seen it because this is really bad. I’m very surprised.”

The Liverpool midfielder taken off 22 minutes later, before his replacement James Milner scored one of the Reds’ eleven penalties to help them lift the trophy.