Leicester City manager Steve Cooper has heavily criticised referee Andy Madley’s performance during their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, calling it “the last thing the PGMOL needed” in a week of scrutiny for officiating standards.
The match marked the first Premier League fixture since referee David Coote was suspended for making disparaging comments about Liverpool and former manager Jürgen Klopp.
However, Cooper’s focus was on Madley’s controversial decision-making, particularly his refusal to award a penalty in the 84th minute when Stephy Mavididi appeared to be fouled by Wesley Fofana. VAR upheld Madley’s decision, adding to Leicester’s frustration.
Although Leicester were eventually awarded a penalty in stoppage time, which Jordan Ayew converted, it only came after an incorrect offside flag was overturned by VAR.
The delay and initial error left Cooper unimpressed, particularly after his side fell behind to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernández.
“When you play against teams like Chelsea, it’s about capitalising on your moments and hoping that the game is refereed in the right way,” Cooper said.
“We’ve had a tough season with the referee this year. This is the last thing the PGMOL needed this weekend, especially being the first game back after the break.”
Cooper also referenced previous frustrations with Madley, including his role as VAR in a contentious decision to award Crystal Palace a goal against Leicester earlier this season, and his officiating during Leicester’s 5-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester United.
When asked about Madley officiating future Leicester matches, Cooper replied: “I shouldn’t get into that. I’d love to answer that to be honest, but I’d be sat in the directors’ box. It’s an interesting season with him, sometimes it can go like that.”
The refereeing controversy overshadowed what was ultimately a disappointing performance from Leicester. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring early on, while Enzo Fernández doubled the lead after the break.
Cole Palmer, who missed England’s Nations League matches due to injury, played the full 90 minutes, helping Chelsea climb to third in the table.
When asked about Palmer’s absence from international duty, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca denied any club pressure:
“Absolutely not. My reaction is that we finished the game 10 minutes ago, we won 2-1, and there are not any comments or reactions to make.”
Chelsea’s win highlighted their clinical edge, while Leicester were left to rue missed opportunities and contentious decisions.