Controversy erupted during Chelsea's Champions League clash against Barcelona, with fans questioning Marc Cucurella's potential offside position leading up to Chelsea's opening goal. UEFA has now released a semi-automated offside still that seemingly confirms Cucurella was indeed onside when he received the ball and crossed it into the box. The goal was eventually credited as an own goal after a touch from Jules Kounde.
Replays initially led many to believe Cucurella was offside, sparking outrage online. Comments like "How is Cucurella not offside here???" flooded social media as fans scrutinised the footage. However, the new angle released by UEFA aims to put those doubts to rest.
Enzo Fernandez's Disallowed Goal: Handball Controversy
Adding to the drama, Enzo Fernandez had a goal disallowed earlier in the match due to a handball in the build-up. Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenberg weighed in on the incident, stating that the referee immediately whistled for handball. The incident involved Wesley Fofana, who was judged to have used his arm to control the ball before crossing it into the box for Fernandez.
"The referee, as the ball went in, he quickly whistled to tell everyone its handball. This will be checked by VAR of course," Clattenberg explained. "It is an interesting one because he's [Fernandez] not the direct scorer, if they deem it is accidental, it should be given as."
Chelsea's Performance and the Road Ahead
Despite the disallowed goal and the offside debate, Chelsea managed to secure a lead against Barcelona, carrying it into half-time. Barcelona, a semi-finalist in the previous Champions League season, struggled to create significant chances against the Premier League side. Adding to their woes, Barcelona's captain, Ronald Araujo, was sent off after receiving two yellow cards. Chelsea had another goal disallowed for offside against Enzo Fernandez earlier in the match.
Chelsea's European campaign has been a mixed bag so far, with strong home performances contrasted by underwhelming away results. They suffered a defeat against Bayern Munich and had to fight back to draw against Qarabag in their previous match.