Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed that he wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t awarded a penalty after being brought down in the box against Arsenal on Sunday.
The Blues secured a 1-0 win thanks to Diego Costa’s first-half goal, but felt as though they should have been given a penalty after the break to double their lead.
Fabregas broke into the box only to run into Laurent Koscielny, and his protests fell on deaf ears as no spot kick was awarded not that the former Gunners midfielder was surprised.
“In my opinion, yes. But the referee said no, what can I do?” he asked on Sky Sports.
“It’s not the first time, it’s not the second, it’s not the third that I was denied a penalty. So I’m not surprised any more.
“Yes, really. Counting last year. Maybe it’s a coincidence.”
The 28-year-old was clearly unimpressed with Mark Clattenburg’s decision, although the official also caused frustration on the Arsenal side having dismissed Per Mertesacker early on.
While the victory was a welcome boost for the reigning Premier League champions, it was undoubtedly a huge blow to Arsenal’s title hopes this season as they remain behind Leicester City and Manchester City in the standings after the weekend’s fixtures.
The focus switches to the FA Cup this weekend for Arsene Wenger and his men when they face Burnley at the Emirates on Saturday, before they return to league duty against Southampton on February 2.
Meanwhile, interim Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink will hope that his side can build on their win and start to gain some consistency in the coming weeks.