McFarlane insists Chelsea should have been given penalty

Calum McFarlane insisted Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty during their 1-0 FA Cup final defeat against Manchester City at Wembley.

Antoine Semenyo’s clever second-half back-flick was enough to secure the trophy for Pep Guardiola’s side, extending the Blues’ miserable run of results in recent Wembley finals.

But Chelsea felt aggrieved when defender Jorrel Hato appeared to be brought down inside the area by City’s Abdukodir Khusanov as the Blues pushed for a late equaliser.

Referee Darren England waved away the protests, leaving interim Blues boss McFarlane frustrated by the decision.

“I thought they’re tough calls. The Hato and Khusanov collision was a penalty,” McFarlane said.

“Jorrel gets in front. If it’s anywhere else on the pitch, it’s a foul – sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.”

It was the second major penalty appeal from Chelsea to be turned down during the game, after forward Joao Pedro went down under another challenge from Khusanov shortly before half-time.

The defeat means Chelsea must now refocus their attention back on the Premier League, with a midweek home clash against Tottenham next up on Tuesday.