Sawt Falasteen - Chelsea boss Maresca wants VAR to intervene over bookings after Hughes escape

Maresca's side were leading through Nicolas Jackson's first-half goal at Stamford Bridge when Hughes fouled Cole Palmer on the edge of the area in the 47th minute.

The Palace midfielder had already been booked in the first half and referee Jarred Gillett's failure to dismiss him with a second yellow card sparked a furious response from Maresca.

Rubbing salt into Chelsea's wounds, Eberechi Eze equalised for Palace with a superb curler from 20 yards just minutes later.

Maresca was convinced Chelsea had been hard done by and said "I think so" when asked if VAR should have the power to overturn yellow card decisions missed by the referee.

"If they had been with 10 I think the game would have completely changed," Maresca said.

"The reaction from their bench, to take Hughes off immediately, I think was quite clear. The referee saw it in a different way, so I have nothing to say.

"It was clear for all of us it was a second yellow card. The only one that thinks in a different way is the referee."

Chelsea appeared to be on course for victory when Senegal forward Jackson tapped in to finish off a fine counter-attacking move.

But Jackson, who Maresca confirmed is set to sign a new contract, was twice thwarted in stoppage time by Palace keeper Dean Henderson as time ran out for the Blues.

Chelsea have won just one of their three league games under Maresca, who arrived from Leicester to replace Mauricio Pochettino to oversee an expensive rebuild in the close-season.

"We completely deserved to win the game," Maresca said. "We controlled the game, we didn't concede chances in the first half.

"Second half, their goal was fantastic but overall we deserved to win. The performance was very good on the ball and off the ball."

Chelsea's new signing Jadon Sancho was introduced to supporters ahead of kick-off after joining on loan from Manchester United but the winger did not sign in time to feature against Palace.

"Jadon is here because we like that kind of player in the last third against a low block, like today," Maresca said.

"But even today we had six, seven clear chances. There are not many more things you can do to win the game."

M.AlAhmad--SF-PST