Chelsea Fans Furious with Husanov

Manchester City secured their second title of the season by defeating Chelsea 1-0 in the English Cup final. In March, Pep Guardiola's team had also won the English League Cup.

Manchester City dominated the majority of the English Cup final, with Uzbek central defender Abdug'ani Husanov being one of the standout players.

However, some football experts and particularly Chelsea fans have expressed strong objections to the 22-year-old player. This is because Husanov repeatedly played on the edge of foul territory.

Manchester City's solid central defense tandem, comprising Mark Guehi and Abdug'ani Husanov, was largely responsible for preventing Chelsea from scoring.

The Uzbek player finished the game with impressive statistics, including 100% successful ball retrievals, ball possession, and seven long passes. He shared the best performance in this regard with Guehi.

Some episodes involving Husanov amazed Manchester City fans, while infuriating Chelsea supporters.

For instance, in the middle of the first half, Husanov made a strong tackle on Joao Pedro, who was approaching the penalty area. Although the Chelsea striker was in a very dangerous position, he failed to overcome the last obstacle before the tackle.

Chelsea players protested and demanded a penalty, but referee Darren England did not consider it a foul.

Opinions on this situation are divided among fans.

Some consider the tackle as an ideal move by the Manchester City defender. Others believe the referee missed a clear foul.

In social media comments, fans expressed the following opinions.

@AFCYop_: "Husanov's best skill is clearly preventing a scoring opportunity through a foul or without a card".

@_Afcbanks: "Husanov should be disqualified for such actions. He always gets away with these fouls".

@George_Zur1: "Husanov didn't even look at the ball and directly hit Joao Pedro. In my opinion, it's a clear penalty".

@MagpieMediaX: "Husanov is a true master of the art of body-to-body combat. Excellent".

During the break, former England defender Gary Neville also shared his thoughts on the controversy, but he couldn't draw a clear conclusion.

- I think this is one of those situations in football that can be very subjective. If you look closely, Husanov clearly hits Joao Pedro. There's no genuine attempt to win the ball here.

When such situations occur within the penalty area, referees often hesitate because they know the consequences of their decisions can be severe. That's why it becomes a '50-50' situation.

Was I biased towards Chelsea? Honestly, I wouldn't say that. I'd say they just didn't have luck on their side. The situation could have been different in another game with a different referee, - said Gary Neville.

In the second half, Husanov was again at the center of two episodes, with Chelsea players falling to the ground in the Manchester City penalty area.

In the 66th minute, he carefully tackled Joao Pedro, who was approaching a scoring position after a cross from the flank.

However, in this case, the contact was mutual, as Pedro himself used his hand first. Therefore, his fall did not lead to significant controversy.

In the 77th minute, Husanov was again close to conceding a penalty. In the penalty area, he hit Yorrel Hato from behind. The Dutch player fell, and Abdug'ani was behind him, not controlling the ball, which could be considered a foul from behind.

The referee ignored this situation as well, sparking more debates on social media.

@JacentaArs: "Husanov somehow managed to avoid another yellow card. How can this not be a penalty in favor of Chelsea? It's hard to understand these decisions".

@tier_1st: "Forget that you're a Chelsea fan. Isn't this a penalty? Husanov lost the ball, and Hato hit him from behind after gaining possession".

@Nino12x: "I'll repeat myself, but how is this not a penalty?"

@zek4e: "Regarding the episode with Hato, you can only laugh. I think this simulation was even worse than the one with Joao Pedro".

@Linfield18862: "I understand why the situation with Pedro is controversial, but I don't understand the episode with Hato. Husanov clearly hit him from behind".

@shxnsei: "In the episode with Hato, Husanov clearly committed a penalty and should have received a second yellow card. I'm surprised it didn't happen".

After the game, Chelsea coach Callum McFarlane also commented on the episode.

- I think these are very tough decisions. The collision between Hato and Husanov deserved a penalty. Yorrel was ahead. If there was contact in another area of the field, a foul would be given. Sometimes these situations are recorded, sometimes not, - said the Chelsea coach.

Husanov is known for his tough, intense, and sometimes aggressive playing style. However, the Uzbek defender has not yet put his team in a difficult situation and always seems to be on the edge of a clear foul.