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Matt Doherty for Spurs against Chelsea, Stamford Bridge 12 January 2022.

Watch: Doherty goes unpunished for dangerous tackle on Malang Sarr

Tottenham’s Matt Doherty controversially went unpunished after a VAR review determined his tackle on Chelsea’s Malang Sarr was not worthy of a red card.

During the 18th minute, Doherty lunged in on Sarr and caught his left ankle, leaving the Chelsea defender in a heap on the floor.

The referee didn’t book the Republic of Ireland international but VAR did have a long look at the tackle for a possible red card due to serious foul play.

But VAR ultimately decided to uphold the original on-field decision and deemed that no further action was necessary from referee Paul Tierney.

In what was promised to be a tight affair, that decision could have had a huge effect on the game but in the end, it mattered little as Chelsea won 2-0.

A stunning, curling strike from Hakim Ziyech and a header from Thiago Silva, both in the second half, gave Chelsea a comfortable victory and strengthened their grip on third place.

There were a number of other controversial moments throughout the match, most notably when Harry Kane had a goal disallowed in the first half for a harsh foul on Silva.

It was Antonio Conte’s first loss in the Premier League as Spurs manager after he took over from Nuno Espirito Santos earlier in the season.


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