Anthony Taylor's refereeing record vs Chelsea as Arsenal match sparks backlash

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Anthony Taylor has booked more Chelsea players than any other club in his refereeing career. The 47-year-old came under heavy criticism online for his handling of the fiery clash between league leaders Arsenal and second-placed Chelsea .

The game’s key moment arrived in the first half when Moises Caicedo was sent off for a challenge on Mikel Merino. Taylor initially showed the midfielder a yellow card, but after a VAR review he upgraded the decision to a straight red.

Taylor has officiated in the Premier League since 2010, and across his 15 years in the top flight, Chelsea have the highest bookings-per-game record under him.

In the 57 games he has overseen involving Chelsea, Taylor has issued 129 yellow cards, two second-yellow dismissals and two straight red cards. Caicedo is now only the second Chelsea player to receive a direct red from Taylor.

Speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports , Daniel Sturridge believed the red card was the correct call, though he disagreed with the process.

He said: "When you see it slowed down, it looks nasty. Initially the referee makes a decision to give him a yellow card. And they've re-reffed it. They've gone with VAR. When you see it slowed down it's a red card. It's not so bad in full speed.

"When you look at the challenge slowed down, it makes the referee's mind up for him. When you go to the screen and see that slowed down, that's a red."

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Chelsea supporters made their feelings clear on social media, with one fan saying: "Arsenal had Anthony Taylor on their side today, played against 10 men for 60+ minutes and still couldn't beat Chelsea. London will always be blue."

In total, Taylor handed out six cards in the first half alone - four yellows to Arsenal, one to Chelsea and Caicedo’s red. Myles Lewis-Skelly was the only player booked after the break.

Fans inside Stamford Bridge also felt Arsenal should have been reduced to 10 men. Piero Hincapie appeared to catch Trevoh Chalobah with a stray elbow to the face.

One supporter wrote: "Clear elbow to the face is fine but a badly mistimed tackle isn't. Another episode of the Anthony Taylor show," while another added: "Anthony Taylor and yellow/red cards, a never ending story."

A separate fan pointed out that Arsenal had received the fewest yellow cards in the league heading into the match and questioned why Taylor felt they were so “ill-disciplined” in the first 45 minutes. Mikel Arteta ’s side now have the third-lowest total this season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, continue to lead the league for red cards with four. Three sides sit joint-second with two each. Enzo Maresca will surely be keen to address this if he hopes to maintain a title push.

After the 1–1 draw, Arsenal’s Premier League lead was cut from six points to five, with Manchester City overtaking Chelsea to move into second.