Jamie Carragher blasts VAR for not overturning ‘very harsh’ Man City penalty against Chelsea and insists punishing Marc Cucurella’s foul on Erling Haaland was the WRONG decision by Anthony Taylor

• Jamie Carragher criticised Man City’s penalty against Chelsea as ‘very harsh’
• Erling Haaland gave the visitors the lead at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
• FOLLOW LIVE: Chelsea v Man City – Live score, key updates and reaction
• Why we should get excited about Cole Palmer – Listen here to It’s All Coming Up

Jamie Carragher blasted the decision to award Man City a penalty against Chelsea on Sunday as the wrong decision and fumed that VAR was ‘not right’ in how they analysed the incident.

Marc Cucurella, who had been brought into the starting team for the game, was ruled to have pulled Erling Haaland to the ground midway through the first half.

There was confusion in the box from both sets of players as Reece James lay injured in the box and Haaland was left on the ground after his tussle with Cucurella.

Referee Anthony Taylor signalled for a penalty as a result of the Spaniard’s challenge on the Man City striker and Carragher believes the wrong call was made as he claimed Haaland was equally at fault.

‘No doubt Cucurella has arms all round Haaland. I think the referee has given a penalty. No doubt he [Cucurella] is out of position. Silva deals with it, look at two of them at back-post, Haaland has hold of him as well. 

Jamie Carragher believes Chelsea shouldn’t have been penalised for a penalty against Man City after Marc Cucurella (right) was deemed to have fouled Erling Haaland (middle) 

Haaland put City in front at Stamford Bridge from the penalty spot after being awarded a penalty

Referee Anthony Taylor awarded City the penalty and showed a yellow card to Cucurella

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‘Think that will be very harsh, six of one, half a dozen of another, no doubt towards end it looks certain penalty. 

‘The frustration with Chelsea supporters is Recce James went down holding his head, Anthony Taylor was just there. 

‘No this isn’t right. All about the back-post. No this is not right, not the right decision. The var have looked at it and confirmed to Taylor to give penalty they were looking at end of tussle, have to look at start of it.

‘The reason Haaland gets ahead is he pulls Cucurella’s shirt. I think that’s very harsh on Chelsea.’

Haaland hits the floor as Thiago Silva (left) clears Bernardo Silva’s cross into the Chelsea box

VAR looked at the incident but didn’t overturn the initial penalty that had been awarded

Jamie Carragher believes the penalty call was wrong as City took an early lead in the game

Taylor awarded the penalty and VAR didn’t intervene to overturn the initial call that ensured City would take an early lead at Stamford Bridge.

Cucurella and Haaland had been grappling with each other in the build-up to the foul before the City star eventually ended up on the ground.

The Chelsea full-back was shown a yellow card for his foul along with the spot-kick being awarded to the visitors.

VAR looked at the decision and also analysed whether James had been fouled in the box in the build-up but decided no further action needed to be taken. 

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