Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca fumes 'it's a red' over key David Brooks decision in draw with Bournemouth

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was left furious after history was made in the Premier League with the decision not to send off David Brooks for his challenge on Marc Cucurella during the Blues' 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Bournemouth were fortunate not to lose Brooks to a red card in the second half for what looked like a hair pull on Marc Cucurella, a pitchside VAR review sparing the winger.

Referee Robert Jones was sent to the monitor by VAR official Graham Scott to review the incident, and consider a red card for Brooks for violent conduct.

But Jones - somewhat surprisingly - decided to stay with his original on-field decision of no red card, instead choosing to caution Brooks.

The incident represents the first time in Premier League history that a referee has rejected a red-card review after being sent to the pitchside monitor for a second look by VAR.

It was also the first VAR monitor rejection of any kind this season.

"I said many times, for me, if there is no intention to take the ball, it's a red," Maresca said. "They have to explain [it]. If they give a yellow, that means something happened.

"So, how can they judge that it was not dangerous? You cannot judge that it was not dangerous.

"The intention was just to go against Marc Cucurella. In my opinion, it's a red. Hopefully, we can be more lucky with the referee in the future."

On the incident, Chelsea club captain Reece James added: "When the referee takes a look at the monitor then it's never a good sign.

"There are positives to take away from the game but there are negatives as well. It's mixed emotions."

In December, Southampton defender Jack Stephens was sent off for a similar hair-pulling incident.

The Premier League Match Centre stated at the time that an on-field review was suggested for possible violent conduct, which eventually led to Stephens being dismissed.

However, after being advised in the same way to check the monitor during Bournemouth's clash with Chelsea, referee Jones ruled that Brooks' actions had been reckless but not violent, hence no sending off.

A statement said: "VAR recommended an on-field review for a possible red card to Brooks for violent conduct. Upon review, the referee deemed that the challenge on Cucurella was a reckless action and not violent conduct - and issued a yellow card to Brooks."

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola took a different view of the incident to Maresca, arguing that Jones was right to let Brooks off with a caution.

"I don't understand why the VAR asked the referee to go and check," he said.

"There was no violence, I think it's a clear yellow card. For me Brooks never wants to do anything other than stop the counter [attack].

"When you consider how Chelsea played and we played, I don't think we deserved to win. I don't think we were better than Chelsea."

Meanwhile, Maresca said Chelsea captain James deserved his moment after his free-kick rescued a point in the fifth minute of stoppage time against Bournemouth.

The captain continued his comeback from a hamstring injury as a second-half substitute and rifled in the goal at the death that made it 2-2, but nevertheless Maresca saw his side's winless run in the Premier League stretch to five games.

It was James' first league goal since he netted in a draw with Tottenham in August 2022, as he marked his return to the side in a league game for the first time since November.

"He deserved it after a difficult moment and it gave us the point," said Maresca.

"I'm happy for him and happy for us. The target for him now is to try to be fit until the end [of the season] and he's going to help us for the way we want to play."

Chelsea had enough first-half chances to finish Bournemouth with Nicolas Jackson at fault for spurning the best of them.

Before that he had set up the opening goal for Cole Palmer, producing an intelligent turn on the ball to escape three Bournemouth players before producing the perfect pass for Chelsea's top scorer to run on to and slot home.

The Senegal striker then struck a post and later blasted over from six yards with the goal gaping.

Bournemouth took full advantage of Jackson's profligacy in the second half, levelling through Justin Kluivert's penalty before Antoine Semenyo made it 2-1, beating young defender Josh Acheampong then sending a rocket inside Robert Sanchez's near post.

James' late intervention rescued Chelsea, but their winless run in the league went on.

"Probably one of our best first halves of the season, the way we were playing on the ball and off the ball, we created so many chances," said Maresca.

"The first half has to finish with a different score. I think at least 2-0 is what we deserved. Second half after the penalty, the game completely changed. We dropped a little bit and we need to understand the reason why.

"The feeling is a little bit shame. When you play like that in the first half you have to be clinical. The game was completely, one hundred per cent under control."