Liam Rosenior was not completely happy after Chelsea’s 4-1 win against Aston Villa on Wednesday night following one moment involving Reece James.
Joao Pedro’s hat-trick and Cole Palmer’s strike helped the Blues to put four goals past Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
How many Premier League goals will Joao Pedro finish the season with? ⚽️
His hat-trick at Villa Park takes him to 14!
However, they could have easily had one more, or that is at least how Rosenior would have felt after the game.
Liam Rosenior thinks Reece James should have been awarded a penalty in Chelsea’s win over Aston Villa
Rosenior is convinced that Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty after a challenge from Ian Maatsen on James.
In the end, it did not matter, yet it is an incident that the Chelsea manager has not forgotten.
Speaking to Kieran Gill and other reporters following the full-time whistle, Rosenior said: “I don’t understand how we don’t get a penalty. The fact we won 4-1 doesn’t change that. It’s a clear penalty on Reece.”
Chelsea also wanted a spot-kick against Arsenal last weekend after Declan Rice elbowed the ball from a corner.
Again, though, that did not matter too much. While Chelsea still went on to lose the game, they scored straight after the incident involving the England midfielder.
Reece James has another solid game in midfield
James excelled in the right-back position in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal last weekend, but Rosenior moved him to midfield at Villa Park on Wednesday.
It is an area of the pitch where James has already played this season, with the 26-year-old rarely disappointing there. Against Villa, it was the same story.
Joao Pedro scores a perfect 10, but how would you rate his teammates?
James was not as influential as he was in the Arsenal game, but he still performed quite well. His passing was very accurate, with the Englishman finishing the match with a pass success rate of 92%, according to Sofascore.
It was also another occasion where James refused to be bullied. He won all three of his ground duels and his only aerial duel.
Whether James starts at right-back or in midfield, the England international continues to drop some sensational performances. And on another night, he may very well have earned Chelsea a penalty.
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