"I thought it was a clear penalty," Chelsea manager Frank Lampard rues VAR decision in Manchester United encounter

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has admitted that he was frustrated and confused with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)'s decision to not give a penalty against Manchester United.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was seen wrapping his arms around the neck of Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta while defending a corner, but VAR adjudged that no foul had been committed.

"They should have taken more time," Chelsea boss Lampard questions the decision

Manchester United's Harry Maguire and Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta were involved in an incident

In a tightly-contested game, the Maguire-Azpilicueta incident was viewed as a potential gamechanger.

And Chelsea boss Lampard has stated that a penalty should have been awarded.

"I thought it was a clear penalty. I couldn't see it at the time from where I was standing and those ones are hard calls for the referee. It's why we brought VAR into the game, but VAR was very quick to dismiss it."

Harry Maguire gets away with a headlock on César Azpilicueta inside his own box. 😳 pic.twitter.com/WeXGWpPDR9

— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) October 24, 2020

The former Chelsea player opined that more time should have been taken and the referee should have been advised to look at the pitch-side monitor.

"They should have taken time and advised the referee to look at the monitor. If he watches the monitor, he has to give the penalty, so it's confusing."

Admitting that it was frustrating, Lampard was left bemused by the decision.

"There's a frustration because the rules seemed to be moving in the right direction. The referees were looking at the monitor a bit more at the start of the season. The person on the pitch should always take first responsibility and that was given back to them with the monitor."

A close match between the two Premier League giants ultimately ended in a goalless draw.

Chelsea's star performer was their goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who made important saves at critical junctures to ensure that Chelsea kept a clean sheet.

Despite the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford playing, the game lacked attacking quality, with both sides opting for a cautious style of play.

Patrice Evra has compared Harry Maguire to Hulk Hogan for his grapple with Cesar Azpilicueta 🤣Should Chelsea have had a penalty?#MUNCHE pic.twitter.com/nRNFbyTMgJ

— Goal (@goal) October 24, 2020

Manchester United arguably had the better chances to score, but Mendy's performance meant ensured that the Blues recorded a clean sheet. Both sides have struggled in the league so far and this result will be viewed as a disappointing one by Lampard and Solskjaer.

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