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Former Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell felt the referee's decision to award a penalty for a handball on Jorrel Hato was a harsh one. Enzo Maresca's side were 2-1 down against Qarabag FK at the half-time interval after a disappointing opening 45 minutes. Brazilian wonderkid Willian Estevao got the Blues up and running with a clever finish at the front post, but Qarabag responded well. Camilo Duran applied pressure to Hato and robbed possession on the edge of the box. The 23-year-old Colombian forward nudged the ball to his left and drilled a low, left-footed shot off the upright before Leandro Andrade reacted quickest to find the back of the net. It went from bad to worse for Maresca's side when Sebastian Gishamer blew his whistle and pointed to the spot after Hato was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area. The Azerbaijani outfit took advantage of the controversial decision as Marko Jancovic sent Robert Sanchez the wrong way, just before the half-time interval. UEFA usually clarify VAR check decisions with an official statement. However, due to the quick turnaround, this was not the case after Hato was penalised for his handball. "It seemed a little bit harsh," former Blues midfielder Sidwell said on TNT Sports. "We're waiting to see a replay for the distance there. "Hato there, he's only a couple of yards away with his hands and arm, they are out of the silhouette of his body, but it's what two yards away. You've seen these given, especially in the European scene." Maresca's side have struggled with consistency this season but named a strong side to face Qarabag but was forced into a number of early changes. First Romeo Lavia was forced off injured and replaced by Moises Caicedo after just eight minutes. With Chelsea trailing at the break, the Blues boss made a further three changes, bringing on Liam Delap, Enzo Fernandez and Alejandro Garnacho for Andrey Santos, Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George. It was the Argentinian substitute who equalised for Chelsea in the 53rd minute with a composed finish. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
