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Fresh after his involvement in Chelsea’s controversial 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, Robert Jones has been appointed as the fourth official for Manchester United’s clash with Brighton on Sunday.
Jones, 37, was the man in the middle at Stamford Bridge as Enzo Maresca’s Blues rescued a point in stoppage-time. Reece James, who has endured a torrid time with injuries, scored a free-kick in the 95th minute to earn a share of the spoils. Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo had turned the game on its head for Bournemouth in the second half after Cole Palmer put the Blues ahead with a sublime dummy and finish.
But the most contentious moment occurred while the scores were locked at 1-1. David Brooks and Marc Cucurella were involved in a tangle as Chelsea looked to launch a counter-attack. Brooks appeared to bring down his opponent after pulling Cucurella’s hair. Jones didn’t offer any punishment to Brooks, up until he was advised to go over and look at the incident again by VAR official Graham Scott.
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As Jones went over to the pitch-side monitor, he was told ‘it’s in your gift’ by Scott before brandishing a yellow card to Bournemouth star Brooks. A Premier League statement read: “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.”
Scott’s message was then the centre of mass intrigue. However, Mail Online revealed that Jones was told he had free rein over which route to go down, whether that meant handing a yellow card to Brooks or sending him off. It’s suggested that this is a common refereeing practice and is used when the decision is down to them. Chelsea boss Maresca fumed with the decision not to hand Brooks a straight red card.
Despite this, Jones is set to continue officiating ahead of United’s clash with Brighton on Sunday. He has been chosen as the fourth official for the game at Old Trafford. Peter Bankes is the referee, with Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh as his two assistants. Craig Pawson is on VAR and Steve Meridith is his assistant.