https://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2015/03/penalty-puzzle.html

 

After our draw with Southampton on Sunday, Jose Mourinho was asked by the media if his team would get another penalty in the league before the end of the season.

That was after Branislav Ivanovic was denied a clear spot-kick when his leg was scraped from behind as he charged into the box.

We were of course the recipient of a spot-kick in our last European encounter, when PSG’s Thiago Silva obviously handled in the area, but Champions League referees have spotted penalty incidents throughout, with four also given our way in the group stage.

It is in our 28 Premier League games this season where we have been awarded just two penalties. Both were for infringements on the league’s most-fouled player, Eden Hazard, and both were in home London derbies, against Arsenal and QPR respectively. The most recent was four-and-a-half months ago.

Historically, this figure seems abnormally low.

In the Double-winning 2009/10 campaign, when we were the country’s outstanding attacking team, we were awarded 12 league penalties. Those fouled included Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Yury Zhirkov, Salomon Kalou, Branislav Ivanovic (pictured below) and Nicolas Anelka. The following year, when we finished second, we were given eight spot-kicks.

 

Even in our sixth-placed 2011/12 campaign, our lowest league finish under the current ownership, the Blues were the recipient of five penalties (plus seven more in other competitions including in the victorious Champions League and FA Cup runs). There were 11 league penalties the following year when we came third.

Last season, Jose Mourinho’s first back at Stamford Bridge, we were awarded seven spot-kicks in the league, for fouls on Eden Hazard, Oscar (pictured below), Ramires, Samuel Eto’o (twice), Fernando Torres and Mohamed Salah.

 

 

So this season’s tally of two unquestionably bucks the recent trend yet our position as clear league leaders and second-highest scorers suggests we can’t be labelled anything other than an attacking side, spending plenty of time in the opposition box.

Our two closest challengers in the Premier League this season, Manchester City and Arsenal, have both been awarded seven penalties – the most in the division. City have only scored one goal more than Chelsea and Arsenal two less. 

Last term, the two teams that finished above us in the league – Man City and Liverpool – were awarded more penalties than any other team bar us.

Of course, it could be that when teams have played the league leaders they have been particularly careful inside their own area. We all have plenty of recollections suggesting this is not the case however.

From the first half of our very first league game, at Burnley, a number of key penalty-box decisions have not gone our way, Diego Costa the victim that evening after being felled trying to round the keeper. He should have been awarded Shed End penalties against Liverpool and PSG recently, too. 

 

 

At Old Trafford in late October, both John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic were wrestled to the ground (above) as they tried to attack an in-swinging free-kick in front of the Stretford End. Cesc Fabregas was then cruelly booked (pictured top) after being tripped inside the area at Southampton and four days later Tottenham escaped after handling close to their own goal.

All those were before Sunday’s incident involving Ivanovic and the previous home game against Burnley when the right-back’s goalbound shot was infamously blocked by the clearest of raised arms.

Below is a list of the penalty numbers for this season so far, and the five campaigns before:

Premier League penalties awarded to Chelsea

2014/15 – 2

2013/14 – 7

2012/13 – 11

2011/12 – 5

2010/11 – 8

2009/10 - 12

 

 

 

Basically for a team that spends as much time as we do in the opposition box it's ridiculous that we haven't been given more fouls.

I think against Southampton we had something like 40+ touches inside their box.

I know you're not going to be given every call because penalties are such a game changer it's a big decision for a referee to make.

That said, the number of blatantly wrong decisions is a huge frustration to me.

Despite our rivals finding the referees a lot more generous in their awarding of penalties we've still managed to be 2nd top scorers (behind by one goal) with a game in hand.

If even half the decisions had been correctly awarded the title would be as good as wrapped up by now.

So the average before this season was a shade over 8 penalties per season.

The refs have been shocking this year and I am convinced that they are influenced by the media with respect to some of our players. I've a feeling Hazard is still widely respected so it's a wonder he doesn't get more protection.

Interesting to again see the club using social media and the official website to air its grievances.

Definitely a change in approach from the club with his those are being managed.

My guess is that this is a result of a combination between Costa and the media. Ivanovic doesn't do us any favors either with the way he goes down inside the box.

Whilst we like to feel there isn't an underlying agenda, one wonders if there is. One can understand us not getting quite a few decisions away from home but the stonewalls at home are a mystery. Is the Bridge not hostile enough towards referees perhaps? In years gone by 'you bent bast*rd ' or ''who's your father' might ring out from the terraces, the crowd can be very influential. Or are referees happy to make their poor decisions, knowing full well that the media won't call them on the bad calls.Who can tell, maybe we're just unlucky every ref appears to have had a mare this year officiating us.

Basically for a team that spends as much time as we do in the opposition box it's ridiculous that we haven't been given more fouls.

I think against Southampton we had something like 40+ touches inside their box.

I know you're not going to be given every call because penalties are such a game changer it's a big decision for a referee to make.

That said, the number of blatantly wrong decisions is a huge frustration to me.

Despite our rivals finding the referees a lot more generous in their awarding of penalties we've still managed to be 2nd top scorers (behind by one goal) with a game in hand.

If even half the decisions had been correctly awarded the title would be as good as wrapped up by now.

 

I'm just not a fan of articles with no byline that are basically saying 'wink, wink, isn't it all peculiar wink, wink'. Personally I think the official channels of the club should be above that because it does come across a little whiney. 

 

What they completely fail to mention is that we haven't had a single penalty in the league since Jose started talking about a 'clear campaign', but instead try to link the number of penalties we should have to the number of goals we've scored. Referees are human and fallible but this constant digging is as unedifying as it is pointless, in my opinion.

I'm just not a fan of articles with no byline that are basically saying 'wink, wink, isn't it all peculiar wink, wink'. Personally I think the official channels of the club should be above that because it does come across a little whiney.

What they completely fail to mention is that we haven't had a single penalty in the league since Jose started talking about a 'clear campaign', but instead try to link the number of penalties we should have to the number of goals we've scored. Referees are human and fallible but this constant digging is as unedifying as it is pointless, in my opinion.

Crunch time in the season.

We weren't getting penalties so Jose came out with the media campaign line.

Still not getting them.

Goes on Sunday supplement to clarify his views.

Still not getting penalties.

Respect the officials, say nothing.

Still not getting them.

Desperate times and all that, time to try a bit of propaganda.

We've 10 games to go, penalty decisions have gone against us in the league literally from day one. We're in a dip of form and need all the help we can get to get us over the line and tie up the league.

We've had a rough time with the penalty calls all season and this is another attempt to help turn the tide.

Will it work? Probably not but it's worth a try if it helps us win the league in any way.

Crunch time in the season.

We weren't getting penalties so Jose came out with the media campaign line.

Still not getting them.

Goes on Sunday supplement to clarify his views.

Still not getting penalties.

Respect the officials, say nothing.

Still not getting them.

Desperate times and all that, time to try a bit of propaganda.

We've 10 games to go, penalty decisions have gone against us in the league literally from day one. We're in a dip of form and need all the help we can get to get us over the line and tie up the league.

We've had a rough time with the penalty calls all season and this is another attempt to help turn the tide.

Will it work? Probably not but it's worth a try if it helps us win the league in any way.

 

You're obviously happy for the club to adopt this tactic which we've already tried and doesn't seem to have worked, but obviously you can understand why others don't. 

 

We'll just agree to disagree.

Chelsea scum, cheating bar stewards, diving, stamping **** ****** ********  *****

 

 

^ Typical thoughts in officials head before KO

 

Well guess what, even without those 2 penalties they so kindly gave us, we would still be top.

You're obviously happy for the club to adopt this tactic which we've already tried and doesn't seem to have worked, but obviously you can understand why others don't.

We'll just agree to disagree.

Maybe I just like being the bad guy?

Someone's got to be, right?

Maybe I just like being the bad guy?

Someone's got to be, right?

 

It was more straightforward when Peter Kenyon was still at the club.

Seems like more than a coincidence to me.

I'm just not a fan of articles with no byline that are basically saying 'wink, wink, isn't it all peculiar wink, wink'. Personally I think the official channels of the club should be above that because it does come across a little whiney. 

 

What they completely fail to mention is that we haven't had a single penalty in the league since Jose started talking about a 'clear campaign', but instead try to link the number of penalties we should have to the number of goals we've scored. Referees are human and fallible but this constant digging is as unedifying as it is pointless, in my opinion.

so it's jose's fault then? you love digging out this orginization sorry club, i think we should make blue daze, c.e.o of the universe. as he is an absolute know it all of the highest order, except for he can't spell facts.

The figures speak for themselves, still waiting for our apology from Mike Riley like West Brom got last year.

The figures speak for themselves, still waiting for our apology from Mike Riley like West Brom got last year.

Do not hold your breath, your face will turn the colour of our shirt before we even get him to admit some of his refs made mistakes against us never mind apologize for them!

The figures speak for themselves, still waiting for our apology from Mike Riley like West Brom got last year.

The Mike Riley who told Petr Cech to leave the field after suffering a brain injury and smashed skull at Reading? And who later saw no foul when Carlo got knocked unconscious?

I'm still waiting for his apology for that disgrace.

The Mike Riley who told Petr Cech to leave the field after suffering a brain injury

Fractured Skull

It is a glaring anomaly. We've had 5 penalties in 8 Champions League games, and 2 in 29 Premier League games. We have the most fouled player in Europe in Hazard, who being very nimble and skilful is just the type of player you'd expect to win lots of penalties, we're among the most attacking teams in terms of goals, chances and touches in the opposition area, and we typically have lots of decent penalty shouts. Yet our last penalty in the league was 4 months (18 games) ago.

 

Burnley (a) - Costa brought down by the keeper. Gets booked for diving.

Man U (a) - Two players brought down simultaneously in the area. It was so blatant even Graham Poll sided with us.

Soton (a) - Fabregas clearly tripped in the area. Gets booked for diving.

Spurs (a) - Vertongen handball.

Newcastle (h) - Collocini handball.

Villa (a) - Cissoko handball

Everton (h) - Naismith handball

Burnley (h) - Kightley handball and Costa bundled over.

Soton (h) - Ivanovic brought down. Costa also had a shout.

 

Were all of the above clearly not penalties? Were we just unlucky? In the past several refs have been hung out to dry for making contentious decisions in our favour and seen the opposition manager receive an apology from their boss. Is that a factor? Is it just easier to give a decision against Chelsea than for us?

I think this is a very good addition to this discussion because it actually goes into specifics.

 

It is a glaring anomaly. We've had 5 penalties in 8 Champions League games, and 2 in 29 Premier League games. We have the most fouled player in Europe in Hazard, who being very nimble and skilful is just the type of player you'd expect to win lots of penalties, we're among the most attacking teams in terms of goals, chances and touches in the opposition area, and we typically have lots of decent penalty shouts. Yet our last penalty in the league was 4 months (18 games) ago.

 

 

It is odd, but in 2005 we don't seem to have had a penalty in the Champions League and by this point in the season only appeared to have scored 4 in the league. Yes that's double what we have this season and I totally agree we should've had a couple of others.

 

 

Burnley (a) - Costa brought down by the keeper. Gets booked for diving.

Man U (a) - Two players brought down simultaneously in the area. It was so blatant even Graham Poll sided with us.

Soton (a) - Fabregas clearly tripped in the area. Gets booked for diving.

Spurs (a) - Vertongen handball.

Newcastle (h) - Collocini handball.

Villa (a) - Cissoko handball

Everton (h) - Naismith handball

Burnley (h) - Kightley handball and Costa bundled over.

Soton (h) - Ivanovic brought down. Costa also had a shout.

 

Were all of the above clearly not penalties? Were we just unlucky? In the past several refs have been hung out to dry for making contentious decisions in our favour and seen the opposition manager receive an apology from their boss. Is that a factor? Is it just easier to give a decision against Chelsea than for us?

 

 

The two most obvious, nailed-on penalties were the Bradford and Southampton away ones. In both instances the players were clipped and subsequently booked for diving and the issue for me is why the refs didn't give the penalties? I know the Bradford one was equally contentious and the handball was possibly the closest to being one but I'll be honest - in real time I didn't think it was. I thought it hit the player's back so I'm not sure if Atkinson can be blamed for that. Atkinson coincidentally gave us a penalty at home to Arsenal, but he was woeful against Burnley overall.

 

With the Costa one I said at the time that I thought Oliver played it safe. Sending off a newly-promoted team's keeper and giving a penalty is a big decision and I think maybe he weighed it up and went with the safer decision. Of course there's always the possibility that he didn't see it and Oliver has certainly given us favourable decisions in the past (like sending off Kaboul against us, a card that was rescinded).

 

The Fabregas one is the worst for me because that probably cost us points and there's clear contact and yet Fabregas is basically called a cheat and booked. It's made worse when you hear subsequently that his assistant (Darren Cann, well-respected by most) insisted it was a penalty but Taylor overruled him. That is also the game that Jose made his comments after that started this whole 'campaign'. It's a scandalous decision.

 

Interestingly Taylor did reportedly apologise to Jose for getting the call wrong and that's the thing - people make mistakes. He was the ref in the League Cup Final and he got that match absolutely spot-on I thought.

 

The rest of the possibly penalties you've highlighted apart from the Burnley and Villa ones (I haven't seen Cissokho's handball) are ones that I'd be a bit pissed if they went against us. Great post though.

Edited March 19, 201511 yr by Blue Daze

Article is up on sky sports now. Cannot help but think will only make refs more determined to call 50/50 calls, and more obvious ones, against us so as not to be seen to bowing to the clubs pressure.

I would be surprised if we got another pen this season now. Unless we were 3-0 down heading in to the 90th minute that is.

Article is up on sky sports now. Cannot help but think will only make refs more determined to call 50/50 calls, and more obvious ones, against us so as not to be seen to bowing to the clubs pressure.

I would be surprised if we got another pen this season now. Unless we were 3-0 down heading in to the 90th minute that is.

Since it's usually Costa that is on the recieving end of the challenges for pens I can't see us getting any more. His reputation has really gone against him this season, he is in utter disbelief when he looks up and see's the ref running away from the incidents.

I think so long as he is leading our line we will probably have to accept this happening which is really annoying.

2 all season despite probably earning the most in the league.  I dont think the refs can be anymore determined not to give penalties than they already are.  At least the stat is made visible and when others see a denied Chelse penalty they will understand the players/managers reaction is not just for a one off bad call but for a seasons worth.

 

I encourage anything that puts pressure on the PGMOL to improve their standards or to at least address issues publicly.

Since it's usually Costa that is on the recieving end of the challenges for pens I can't see us getting any more. His reputation has really gone against him this season, he is in utter disbelief when he looks up and see's the ref running away from the incidents.

I think so long as he is leading our line we will probably have to accept this happening which is really annoying.

 

It's crazy, he has reputation for being a bit of a rough type of player, not a diver. So there shouldn't be a reason for the refs to even question if Diego Costa is diving.

 

Suarez has a reputation for diving, but he still got plenty of penalties.

Cant help but feel if some of our players didn't shamefully dive at certain points in the season (Cahill etc), it would have helped our cause.

Costa has been shafted on many occasions though.