Rodrigo Bentancur’s late challenge on Reece James in the first half of the Tottenham versus Chelsea match was deemed reckless but not serious foul play. The midfielder received a yellow card for the tackle, resulting in frustration from the Chelsea captain.
Bentancur halted a Chelsea break with his late tackle, leading to a confrontation between players from both teams. Despite the incident, the referee only cautioned the Uruguay international, a decision that was upheld by the video assistant referee.
Trevoh Chalobah also received a yellow card for his reaction to the situation, as he confronted Bentancur. Initially, James thought he was being booked for appealing against his opponent, but it was Chalobah who was penalized.
Although Bentancur’s tackle seemed to target James’ ankle with his studs, it was not considered to be ‘serious foul play’. The VAR review supported the referee’s decision of issuing a yellow card.
According to the Premier League Match Centre, the VAR check confirmed that Bentancur’s challenge was reckless but not worthy of a red card. Former Tottenham player Jamie Redknapp suggested that a red card might have been given if the tackle had been higher.
Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, noted that the tackle looked more severe in slow motion, causing potential discomfort for James. At the time of the incident, Chelsea was leading the match after Joao Pedro scored the opening goal, breaking his two-month goal drought.
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