Controversy over Morgan Rogers not being sent off after contact with Trai Hume’s head in Chelsea-Sunderland match

Morgan Rogers’ contact with Sunderland defender Trai Hume’s head during Chelsea’s defeat sparked debate over why the Chelsea player was not sent off. Footage showed Rogers’ knee touching Hume’s head while Hume was on his hands and knees during a stoppage in play.

Hume held the back of his head, while Rogers extended his arm and then bent down to check on him, before Thomas Meunier stepped in to protest. The referee did not award a foul, and the video assistant referee reviewed the incident but did not decide to award one either.

Commentators Don Hutchison and Joe Speight disagreed over the incident: Hutchison felt it warranted a red card, while Speight pointed out that neither the referee nor VAR considered it a foul. Fans on X also voiced the view that Rogers should have been sent off, but that remained the fans’ opinion.

The source also revisited earlier tension between the players: in September last season, Hume made a tackle on Rogers, then an Aston Villa player, during the teams’ 1-1 draw. Hume was not booked for that incident, and Rogers later reposted footage of the tackle, criticising the celebration of dangerous challenges.