These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Halsey lambasts failure to award ‘clear penalty’

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has told The Sun that the match officials made an error by deciding not to award Chelsea a penalty at Old Trafford last weekend after Harry Maguire managed to get away with a foul on Cesar Azpilicueta in his own box.

Halsey felt there was little debate that the Blues deserved a spot kick after the Manchester United captain produced ‘a choke hold that wrestler Hulk Hogan would be proud of’.

‘It was like a strangle hold on one of those old wrestling shows,’ added Halsey.

‘A referee always tries to get in the best possible position for the ultimate viewing angle but (match referee) Martin Atkinson has not seen it.

‘I would have thought VAR would have recommended a review. In my opinion it is a clear and obvious error. That’s why we have VAR.

‘Stuart Attwell was the VAR official. Had he asked Atkinson to go over and check, he would have awarded a penalty.

‘VAR is simple for me. The IFAB protocol is: was that incident a clear and obvious error? One word, in capital letters. YES.’

Loftus-Cheek’s loan ambition

According to The Sun, Ruben Loftus-Cheek hopes his season on loan at Fulham goes as well as his previous spell at Crystal Palace as he looks to get his comeback from injury back on track.

The 24-year-old is seeking regular playing time at Craven Cottage after being sidelined by an Achilles injury for 13 months and is hopeful his time there can be as fruitful as the period he spent at Selhurst Park in 2017/18.

‘I really took a lot from that Palace loan,’ said the England midfielder. ‘I had a lot of experience in the Premier League, and obviously that kick-started my international career.

‘Hopefully Fulham can do the same thing, after being out for so long with injury, regain that same feel for the game. This is why I have come here.

‘Those games were crucial for me. If I don’t go to Palace, I don’t make the England team.’

Loftus-Cheek stressed that he remains committed to the Blues after signing a new five-year contract in 2019.

‘I still see my future at Chelsea. I believe in my ability 100 per cent. This is obviously not a permanent move,’ he added.

‘This is a platform for me to go and express myself and find that form that was showing a couple of seasons ago. I believe in my ability, and we will see where that takes me.’

Schurrle reveals his difficulties under Mourinho

Andre Schurrle has revealed in a video interview that he struggled with the psychological pressure of playing under Jose Mourinho during his time at Chelsea, TalkSport reports.

Speaking candidly to German television host Joko Winterscheidt, the 29-year-old said it was his dream to play for the Blues but he found it much tougher to deal with the man-management skills of the Portuguese coach.

‘Jose Mourinho is a brutal guy. I always wondered to myself, just what was he doing?’ said Schurrle, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 but announced his retirement earlier this year.

‘How could he treat me the way he did, and just what did he do to people? In hindsight I realise what he wanted to do, and how he worked to achieve it.

‘At the time I couldn’t come to terms with what he wanted from me, with his harshness and the psychological pressure he created.

‘It was extremely difficult for me at times. I often drove home after having a conversation with him thinking I couldn’t take it anymore.’