Anthony Taylor is set for a weekend off from Premier League duties after he whipped out a record-breaking number of yellows in Chelsea’s win over Bournemouth.
The experienced referee wasn’t shy about reaching for his cards, dishing out 16 yellows and smashing the previous top-flight record of 13 from a Spurs and Sheffield United clash.
The Blues and The Cherries have been slapped with £25k fines each due to their players’ antics last Saturday. While both teams are gearing up for their next games, Taylor’s been benched from refereeing any league action this time around.
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The 45-year-old will be on fourth official duties instead, overseeing Southampton’s clash with Ipswich Town, with ref Sam Allison taking the main stage. Taylor will repeat his fourth official role at Brighton’s match against Nottingham Forest the next day.
Bournemouth’s gaffer Andoni Iraola was less than impressed with Taylor’s liberal card-giving at the Vitality Stadium, remarking post-match: “I will not talk about the referee. I have been talking and it is not working so I have decided now I will try the opposite.”
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(Image: PA)
On the flip side, Enzo Maresca reckoned Taylor had every right to hand out the yellows, given the fiery nature of the game, reports the Express.
The Chelsea gaffer opened up about the rough-and-tumble match, admitting: “I complained about a foul on Wesley Fofana, which for me was quite clear, but it can happen,” and added, “Eight yellow cards probably because these sort of games are about duels and fight and this can happen.
“It is not a problem for me with this amount of yellow cards. It is what it is. Sometimes the game demands the way you have to behave.”
Following the clash between Bournemouth and Chelsea, the Daily Mail has reported that ref Anthony Taylor copped a barrage of abuse online. The PGMOL has since rallied around him, while the Premier League is believed to be probing into the incident.