Large sections of both Chelsea and Crystal Palace supporters are disagreeing on whether Thiago Silva should have been shown a red card. The Blues were on the back foot in the first-half and the 38-year-old defender was caught up in an altercation with Jordan Ayew.
The pair tussled with one another just inside the west Londoners' half. Silva then went down under the pressure of the Palace forward and, in a typical modern football manner, the Brazil international clawed the ball away from Ayew who would have had an abundance of space to run in behind Chelsea's backline.
Silva was shown a yellow card by referee Chris Kavanagh and the video assistant referee quickly intervened to check for a possible red card offence. VAR decided against sending the Blues centre-half off; a handful of frames showed Ayew begin to run wide, which is said to be the reason for VAR to not brandish a red card in this scenario.
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And, it turns out that the Eagles' chairman and co-owner Steve Parish was just as confused by the decision as Palace fans. Parish tweeted: "Honestly what is the point of #var we chop and change every week what it does what it thinks. #Var must surely think that’s a red but not a ‘clear’ error! Even if it’s not a #dogso which it is He handballs it twice deliberately, one we play on so two yellows."
Singing from the same hymn sheet, @EddieCPage tweeted: "How was that not given as a red."
@liamb0117 tweeted: "Difficult not to feel that if Silva was wearing a Palace shirt he gets sent off. Feels like, for whatever reason whether it be the scrunity afterwards or having to deal with the powerful people behind the scenes, referees are reluctant to give a big decision against the Top 6."
@DeePalace_ tweeted: "They’ll get away with it as usual no one holds them accountable it’s the same old nonsense."
@Davvo111John tweeted: "It was a clear red. The standard of refereeing on the pitch and at the VAR office is pathetic. He was clear through on goal. It matters not a jot how far out he was. The bias towards the so-called bigger clubs is getting worse."
But a handful of Chelsea fans disagreed a drew attention to a foul on Silva in the build-up. It's argued that the Brazilian was unlawfully tumbled over by Ayew first.
@HomeOfTheBlues4 tweeted: "100% a red, but it should have been a foul before that."
@_CFC_Josh tweeted: "What about the foul that made him fall over?"
@amin_2525 tweeted: "Was not a clear goal chance, there was Chilwell on the other side tho. Big diff."
Palace fans felt aggrieved and - arguably - rightly so, but no more so than when Silva went on to play a hand in Chelsea drawing level moments later. The veteran defender was the supplier to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's equaliser just over half-an-hour later, nodding the ball into the Gabon international's path.
Had Silva not been on the pitch than the former Barcelona striker may not have handed the Blues a lifeline as Potter searches for his first win as Chelsea boss. Unsurprisingly, Palace supporters had a lot to say on the matter on social media.
@BradleeIsmaili tweeted: "Silva should not be on the pitch."
@chrisoshea72 tweeted: "Thiago silva should not be on the pitch. CORRUPTION."
@james_hockey61 tweeted: "Thiago Silva should not be playing."
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