Ally McCoist says the referee made a ‘terrible’ decision during Chelsea vs Benfica

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Chelsea’s latest European fixture was a bit of a drag.

Benfica came to Stamford Bridge under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, and made a competitive game out of it.

A moment of misfortune would be their undoing, when Richard Rios spilled the ball into his own net after Alejandro Garnacho pulled one back across the penalty area.

Aside from that, there was little to excite. Neither team surpassed the 1.0 xG mark, which tells the story of an uneventful 90 minutes.

But there was a moment of drama after the 90-minute mark, resulting in yet another red card to add to Chelsea’s season collection.

Ally McCoist calls out decision to send Joao Pedro off

Joao Pedro was the culprit, raising his leg too high for referee Daniel Siebert’s liking.

Having been booked earlier in the tie, Pedro received his marching orders in the 96th minute, to the frustration of everyone in the ground. It’s a third red card in four outings for Chelsea, which must have Enzo Maresca scratching his head.

But pundit Ally McCoist thinks the decision was harsh.

Appearing on talkSPORT Breakfast, McCoist is baffled by the decision, saying: “Yeah, I’ve seen it, terrible. Even with Pedro’s sending off last night as well in the last minute. His foot’s high. Yes, it is. And the world’s saying his foot’s too high, but there’s a minute to go.

“He doesn’t touch the boy. The boy has been holding his face and he gives him another yellow card and sends him off. I don’t know.”

Considering the lack of contact, Pedro was unlucky to see red, but it’s a concerning pattern forming at the club.

Chelsea looking like this season’s Arsenal

Last season, Arsenal’s disciplinary record was shambolic. They accumulated six red cards over the course of the campaign, the most by a distance.

They played a total of 191 minutes with ten men, and the disadvantage greatly impacted their ability to stay close to Liverpool in the title race.

This season, it’s Chelsea who are suffering.

The last two Premier League matches would have gone much differently without Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah’s dismissal.

The one last night may have been harsh, but it’s impossible to deny a pattern is emerging. Maresca has plenty to do in terms of integrating new signings and managing an injury crisis, but he needs to add improving discipline to that list.