Manchester City’s FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley was decided by a single moment of quality, but it is the officiating decisions that have continued to dominate the post-match discussion.
On Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola’s side edged a tightly contested encounter 1-0, with Antoine Semenyo producing the decisive moment in the 71st minute.
The finish proved enough to secure City yet another piece of silverware, as they once again got the better of Chelsea in a major domestic final.
However, beyond the narrow scoreline and the decisive goal, attention has shifted firmly to a series of refereeing calls that left Chelsea frustrated.
The London club felt aggrieved by multiple incidents inside the penalty area, including a strong appeal when João Pedro went down under pressure from Abdukodir Khusanov, which the officials dismissed without VAR intervention leading to a penalty.
But the most significant flashpoint came in the first half, when Enzo Fernández was shown a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Bernardo Silva.
The incident was reviewed by VAR, yet match officials ultimately upheld Darren England’s on-field decision, concluding that the booking was sufficient punishment.
That conclusion has since been strongly challenged by former Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Keith Hackett, who believes a much stronger sanction should have been applied at the time.
Hackett believes Fernandez deserved red card with the reckless challenge
The most debated moment of the final occurred before the interval, when Enzo Fernández committed a forceful tackle on Bernardo Silva that initially saw him enter the referee’s notebook.
With tensions rising inside Wembley, the challenge was quickly subjected to VAR review to determine whether the caution should be upgraded to a red card.
After a brief review, officials opted not to intervene, effectively endorsing Darren England’s decision to keep Fernández on the pitch.
The nature of the tackle, described by some observers as reckless, has been dissected extensively, particularly given its timing in a high-stakes match where margins were already extremely fine.
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Hackett, speaking after reviewing the footage, was unequivocal in his assessment that the decision not to dismiss Fernández was incorrect.
The former FIFA referee, who previously held a senior role within English officiating, argued that the challenge crossed the threshold into dangerous play and should have been punished accordingly.
He told Football Insider: “This challenge meets the criteria for serious foul play, and he is very fortunate to stay on the field of play.
“Serious Foul Play – The law states that a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.
“Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side
