Advertisement
Anthony Taylor’s retirement: Top controversies of EPL ref and why Chelsea fans are happy with his exit
21st July, 2026 09:02 PM
One of the Premier League’s most outstanding referees, Anthony Taylor, has announced his retirement following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
The Englishman officiated 831 games across 2 decades, including every domestic cup final and bows out aged 47 after taking charge of the World Cup round of 16 tie between Portugal and Spain.
Following a career filled with high-profile controversial calls, Taylor’s retirement sparked widespread reaction online, with Chelsea fans expressing relief given their contentious history with the referee.
The controversies
One of the most controversial official send-offs involved the 2020 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on August 1, 2020.
Chelsea were trailing Arsenal 2–1 in the 73rd minute when the incident took place. Kovačić had already been booked earlier in the match. A contested ball between Kovacic and Xhaka saw both players go for the challenge deemed a 50/50 ball.
However, Kovačić appeared to lightly touch the ball before Xhaka went down. Anthony Taylor immediately blew his whistle and issued a second yellow card to Kovačić, leading to a red card.
VAR and replays review
Replays showed that contact was minimal, and if anything, Xhaka stepped on Kovačić’s foot during the challenge. Former refereeing experts and pundits widely criticized the call as extremely harsh
A similar decision came during the Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Arsenal on November 30, 2025, at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo was sent off in the 38th minute. Taylor initially issued a yellow card to Caicedo on the pitch.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the replay and recommended a pitchside review on the monitor. Upon review, Taylor upgraded the decision from a yellow card to a straight red card for excessive force and serious foul play.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea 2024 – 14 yellow cards in a game
Taylor bransished 14 yellow cards to players during Chelsea’s 1–0 away victory over AFC Bournemouth on September 14, 2024, at the Vitality Stadium.
The dismissals set the record for the most yellow cards issued to players in a single match in Premier League history. Additionally, he cautioned both managers on the sidelines—Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola- bringing the total of yellow cards brandished on the night to 16.
Maguire’s rugby tackle vs Chelsea
Finally, during a Premier League encounter between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on October 24, 2020, Taylor was again at the centre of a highly controversial call involving Harry Maguire and Chelsea captain César Azpilicueta.
The United centre-back made the famous “rugby tackle” with his hands across the Spaniard’s neck while clearing out a dangerous ball from a set piece. Inexplicably, the tackle went unpunished, as no yellow card was shown, no red card, and no penalty was awarded against Manchester United.
