Sonia Bompastor launched another strong criticism of VAR after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Arsenal was not enough to save their Women’s Champions League campaign. The Blues went out 3-2 on aggregate, but the biggest post-match talking point was a late incident in which Katie McCabe appeared to pull Alyssa Thompson’s hair without being sent off. Bompastor was then booked for her protests and later dismissed after a second yellow card.
Chelsea won the night but not the tie
Chelsea managed to beat Arsenal 1-0 at Stamford Bridge through a late goal, yet Arsenal’s first-leg advantage carried them into the semi-finals. The closing stages became increasingly chaotic, with Chelsea pushing for a second goal, Arsenal trying to protect their aggregate lead, and tempers rising on the touchline and on the pitch.
Hair-pull incident sparked the main controversy
The flashpoint came near the end when McCabe was involved in an incident with Alyssa Thompson. Bompastor argued that VAR should have intervened and that Arsenal should have been reduced to 10 players. Instead, no red card followed, and Chelsea’s coach reacted angrily enough to be cautioned before receiving a second booking moments later.
After the match, Bompastor said she could understand a referee missing something in real time, but not the failure to properly review it with video assistance. She also said Thompson was left in tears by the episode, underlining how emotionally charged the moment had become.
McCabe and Arsenal responded differently
McCabe later said on social media that she had been trying to grab Thompson’s shirt rather than her hair and insisted there was no intent to do that. Arsenal manager Renee Slegers took a cautious line, saying McCabe had apologized and that she believed the action was likely accidental, though she wanted to look at it more closely before saying more.
Bompastor linked it to a wider refereeing problem
Bompastor’s frustration was clearly not limited to one moment. She referenced previous Champions League officiating decisions involving Chelsea and questioned why officials connected to earlier disputed calls were involved again. Her comments continued a theme from the first leg, when she had already complained about the standard of VAR decisions in the women’s game.
UEFA stance appears unchanged
Reports indicate UEFA still has confidence in the officials selected for this season’s competition and is not expected to take further action against Bompastor simply for voicing her criticism. At the same time, there has been no public indication from UEFA that McCabe should have been dismissed, which means the debate over the incident is likely to continue.
Chelsea leave with more anger than consolation
In the end, Chelsea were left with a strange mix of emotions. They won the second leg, but not by enough. They produced late pressure, but too late. And instead of discussing a comeback, the main focus shifted to refereeing, VAR and Bompastor’s red card. For Arsenal, the key fact is simple: they are through. For Chelsea, the feeling is that another European exit ended with more bitterness than closure.
