FOOTBALL fans joked Todd Boehly wild spending spree has now extended to referees as Chelsea escaped a huge handball claim in their penalty area.
Liverpool were adamant they should have had a spot kick early in the second half at Stamford Bridge.
ReutersAnthony Taylor was in charge of Chelsea’s clash with Liverpool[/caption]
Sky SportsNicolas Jackson deflected the ball to safety with his hand[/caption]
Nicolas Jackson deflected a corner back out of play with his hand – although his arm was tucked into his body.
The new striker claimed it had come off his chest but replays showed he clearly used his hand, albeit probably accidentally.
But ref Anthony Taylor opted against awarding a penalty.
And the VAR Darren England agreed after watching the incident back, refusing to send the man in the middle to the pitchside monitor as play resumed.
That prompted an outpouring of similar comments on Twitter suggesting the official was the latest big-money transfer arrival for Boehly’s Chelsea.
One said: “Did Boehly sign Taylor?”
Another joked: “Crazy to think that Boehly and Eghbali talked Anthony Taylor into an eight-year contract.”
And a final user referenced the long-held bitterness Chelsea supporters hold towards Taylor by adding: “We’ve finally bought Anthony Taylor to our side.”
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To make matters worse for Liverpool, Taylor inadvertently got in the way of Dominik Szoboszlai as the Hungarian tried to launch a counter attack.
However, he did not have to stop the game or perform a drop ball because the referee managed to avoid making contact with the ball.
One viewer quipped: “Boehly should consider Anthony Taylor as his new DM the way he just blocked off Szoboszlai,” referencing Chelsea’s ongoing pursuit of Moises Caicedo to bolster Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield.
Another typed: “Anthony Taylor doing a boss job as a DM for Chelsea there.”
A third wrote: “This is genuinely a hall of fame horror show from Anthony Taylor.”
And one fan commented: “Anthony Taylor has been Chelsea’s best player.”
It was a busy day for VAR England who had to chalk off goals for both Mo Salah and Ben Chilwell in the first half.
Luis Diaz had put Liverpool in front on 18 minutes, sliding in at the back post, before Blues debutant Axel Disasi bundled in an equaliser before the break.
And it ended 1-1 in Poch’s first competitive game in charge of Chelsea.
Todd Boehly was in the stands for the 1-1 draw at Stamford BridgeRichard Pelham / The Sun