Rio Ferdinand insists Chelsea should have had TWO spot-kicks in 4-1 defeat at Liverpool: ‘How has VAR not seen that? Those penalties could have changed the nature of the game’

Rio Ferdinand says VAR were wrong to deny Chelsea two penalties during their 4-1 defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday and said those calls could have changed the dynamic of the game. 

Jurgen Klopp‘s side dismantled Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday evening, with Mauricio Pochettino admitting the Blues were clearly the better side on the night. 

However, Chelsea were denied two penalties during the Premier League fixture – with Ferdinand claiming those two opportunities could have changed the nature of the game. 

Virgil van Dijk leant into Conor Gallagher early on, forcing the Chelsea star to hit the ground inside the box. Referee Paul Tierney waved for play to continue and VAR dismissed any penalty claims.

Van Dijk was at the heart of the second incident too – clipping Christopher Nkunku inside the penalty area. The incident was once more reviewed by John Brooks but he decided against awarding the Blues a penalty.

Virgil van Dijk leant into Conor Gallagher early on (above) and kicked Christopher Nkunku

Speaking about the second incident on the commentary, Ally McCoist was heard saying: ‘Has van Dijk kicked through him? Oh he does you know!

‘I’ll tell you right now he does, that’s a penalty. I think that is a penalty – he catches him with his right leg. You see the contact from Van Dijk there, oh it’s a penalty all day. He catches his right leg, no doubt about it.’

While after the game, Ferdinand said: ‘I can’t believe VAR hasn’t seen that and not give the penalties. VAR is meant to help in these situations. 

‘How they have looked at the those two incidents and not thought they were penalties [for Chelsea].

‘I still think Chelsea were well off it today but those penalties could have changed the nature of the game.’

When asked for his opinion on the situation after the game, Pochettino said: ‘Of course we were seeing it on the iPad and we were thinking it could be a penalty. It was bad luck for us but that does not change the feeling that Liverpool were better than us.’