Sonia Bompastor calls for more respect after VAR controversy in Chelsea’s defeat to Arsenal

Posted : 25 March 2026

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor has expressed her deep frustration with the officiating standards in women’s football following a 3-1 loss to Arsenal. The Blues fell behind in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. However, the match was overshadowed by two controversial decisions that saw Chelsea goals chalked off by the referee and VAR.

The most contentious moment arrived just before half-time with Chelsea trailing 2-0. Veerle Buurman appeared to have halved the deficit when she headed home a Sandy Baltimore free-kick. However, Romanian referee Alina Pesu disallowed the effort for an alleged foul on Laia Codina. Despite a VAR review, the decision was not overturned, leaving Bompastor and her players visibly stunned on the touchline.

Bompastor stated after the match that the current level of refereeing is "not good enough" for the elite level of the competition. She argued that players work hard all week to perform and deserve competent officiating in return. The French manager suggested that the solution might involve bringing the best referees from the men's game if the current pool cannot meet the required standards.

Arsenal had established an early lead through goals from Stina Blackstenius and a stunning long-range strike by Chloe Kelly. Although Lauren James pulled a goal back for the visitors with a sublime effort in the 66th minute, Alessia Russo restored the two-goal cushion ten minutes later. A second Chelsea goal, bundled home by Kadeisha Buchanan late in the game, was also ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Anneke Borbe.

The result leaves the reigning European champions, Arsenal, in a commanding position ahead of the return leg. Chelsea will feel hard done by after hitting the woodwork twice through James and Alyssa Thompson in the opening ten minutes. Bompastor acknowledged that while she supports the use of VAR, it is only effective when handled by the right people who understand the physical nature of the sport.

The Blues now face a significant challenge to overturn the two-goal deficit when they host the Gunners at Stamford Bridge on April 1. Bompastor remained defiant, insisting that her team has the quality to turn the tie around if given a fair platform. The winner of this all-London clash will progress to the semi-finals as they chase European glory.

Sonia Bompastor calls for more respect after VAR controversy in Chelsea’s defeat to Arsenal

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