Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was unfairly denied a goal in the Blues’ defeat to Brighton, according to former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett.

Hackett, a former FIFA official, expressed his surprise at referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision to rule out Fernandez’s goal for an alleged push on Brighton’s Joel Veltman.

“I was surprised that referee Chris Kavanagh ruled out the Chelsea goal for an alleged push,” Hackett told Football Insider.

He questioned the consistency of refereeing decisions, highlighting the level of physicality that is often allowed inside the penalty area.

“Given what we see inside the penalty area, with the holding, the pulling, the pushing, there hardly seemed to be sufficient force for the Brighton player to go down in the way that he did.”

Hackett’s comments suggest that the decision was harsh, and Fernandez was unfortunate to have his effort disallowed. With Chelsea struggling for form, moments like these only add to the frustration surrounding Enzo Maresca’s side.