Arsenal's Piero Hincapie deserved red card for elbow on Trevor Chalobah that left Chelsea defender with a 'black eye', claims Enzo Maresca

Hincapie and Chalobah came together while competing for a header. The Ecuadorian defender entered the challenge with a raised arm, striking the 25-year-old under the eye with his elbow. Chalobah received treatment on the pitch immediately, with a large contusion on his cheekbone almost immediately visible on the broadcast. Hinacpie was shown a yellow card by on-field referee Anthony Taylor, with the incident checked by the VAR. 

Hincapie was adjudged to have had his eyes on the ball and not Chalobah, meaning the challenge was ruled to be reckless rather than dangerous or with excessive force, remaining a yellow card. 

Maresca took exception to the decision in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision should have been upgraded to a red. The Italian admitted that while Caicedo was correctly dismissed for his tackle - a challenge that Merino described as "horrible" - he lamented inconsistencies against his side. Maresca referenced a decision not to dismiss Rodrigo Bentancur in a recent Premier League clash with Tottenham as a further example of his side's poor luck with the referees in the 2025-26 season. 

The Blues boss was asked to comment on post-match quotes by his captain Reece James, who suggested Hincapie should have been shown a red for the challenge. Maresca replied: “I think Reece is right. But they (officials) decide. I just said there, he asked me about Moises’ red card. It’s a red card, but why was Bentancur’s against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away? So us, as a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in a different way.

“Moises’ is a red card, yes. Bentancur’s is a red card, yes. Why don’t they give him a red card? It’s just that we struggle to understand. The reality is that it’s a red card. But why do they judge it differently?

“And the Trevoh one, I asked the referee, he said to me that it was not an elbow. So, this is what they said. (He had a) black eye, with ice at half-time. But they judge in different way.”

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Despite taking the blow, Chalobah was able to open the scoring for the Blues, in a massive London derby with implications for the title race. Following Caicedo's departure, it appeared the Blues were about to miss their chance to push their inter-city rivals for the Premier League crown. Chelsea took the lead shortly after the break, though, as Chalobah rose at the front post to glance James' in-swinging corner beyond David Raya in the Arsenal net. 

However, the west London club were unable to press home on their advantage, with Merino heading home a Bukayo Saka cross on the hour mark. 

Despite losing their lead, Maresca was proud of his side. He said: "The effort of the players (is what I’m most proud of). Arsenal, they are top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League, best defenders in the Premier League, probably best defenders in the Champions League. So, in this moment, they are the best team. And I think 11 vs 11, we were better than them. Then, with 10 players again, the dynamic changed. So, the effort from the players has been outstanding."

The point keeps Chelsea six points adrift of Arsenal in their pursuit of the title. The Blues travel to Leeds on Wednesday, before heading down to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth on December 6.