Chelsea handed fresh Wilfred Ndidi referee red card verdict after Leicester City controversy

Chelsea have again been told that Wilfred Ndidi should have been sent off during their Premier League clash against Leicester City on Saturday. The midfielder was shown a yellow card for a bad foul on Cole Palmer in the first half with VAR agreeing that referee Andy Madley made the correct call.

Ultimately, the Blues were still able to pick up all three points regardless, with Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez on target. Though Enzo Maresca would have been pleased with the victory at his former club, Jordan Ayew's late consolation goal from the penalty spot meant it remained just two Premier League clean sheets this season.

Although Chelsea were able to hang on for the final 90 seconds following Leicester's goal, they were certainly aggrieved that Ndidi was not sent off for his challenge on Palmer. Boubakary Soumare was also cautioned for a bad tackle, but there were far more complaints over the incident involving Ndidi.

With that in mind, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher issued his thoughts on the controversy. "A better start point here is red card," he said on Sky Sports' Ref Watch. "There are a few things here. He rakes down his Achilles. He can't get the ball so that's a big thing for me.

"VAR looked and felt there wasn't intensity, and also that he caught the top of his boot." Though Gallagher hinted Ndidi probably should have been sent off initially, he was far more balanced in his admission than others with another ex-referee in Keith Hackett making his thoughts very clear.

"Ndidi came in high and raked down the Achilles of the Chelsea player," he told Football Insider. "For me, it’s a clear red. It’s about protecting the players. The Achilles is a vulnerable area, and it’s fortunate the Chelsea player didn’t milk it. It was a poor decision and he should have walked.”

As the issue was dealt with on the pitch, Ndidi will face no retrospective action and will thus be available for Leicester's next game. Regarding possible suspensions for Chelsea, both Pedro Neto and Jackson are one caution away from a one-match ban.

Up next for Chelsea in the Premier League is a clash against Aston Villa and if either attacker is booked, they will the London derby away at Tottenham.

Join the football.london Chelsea WhatsApp community

Sign up to our Chelsea WhatsApp service and get all the latest breaking news and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Chelsea writers direct to your phone.

By signing up to this free service you will be the first to know the news from Stamford Bridge as it happens.

To join our Chelsea community, all you have to do is click this link to join and you're in!