Michy Batshuayi looked to have fired Chelsea into the fourth round until Jamal Lewis equalised with a last gasp header
EDEN HAZARD stepped up to spare Chelsea’s blushes with the winning shootout penalty after a VAR controversy.
A stunning blunder denied the Blues a penalty in extra-time when Norwich defender Timm Klose appeared to trip Willian in the box.
But referee Graham Scott did not give it and the VAR Mike Jones did not over-rule the decision as they did not deem it a ‘clear and obvious’ error.
There were also two Blues players sent off in added time. First Pedro, who picked up a second yellow for a foul on Wes Hoolahan after being booked for diving in normal time.
And then Alvaro Morata picked up two bookings in seconds — one for diving and then a second for dissent for protesting the decision straight after.
In the penalty incident, Willian was even booked for diving and TV pundits slammed the fact the system did not call for a spot-kick.
Alan Shearer said: “You saw VAR work perfectly last night at Leicester for a matter of fact— but you are now seeing why I am very doubtful.
“It’s a shambles because you have four ex footballers in here plus one in the commentary box and we all think it’s a pen and he books him for diving.
“Who on Earth is looking at that screen thinking it’s not — that’s why its a shambles.”
Former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin agreed with Shearer.
Jamal Lewis celebrates scoring his first ever professional goal
He added: “It’s a shocking decision, I don’t know how they have got it wrong.”
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was furious but nobody was happy at Stamford Bridge last night for an FA Cup third round replay nobody really wanted.
Norwich could not sell out their 6,000 tickets allocation with the game live on the BBC, leaving a huge blue chunk of empty seats in the ground’s redeveloped Shed End.
Chelsea boss Conte certainly did not need this extra game and made that patently obvious with his complaints about fixture pile-up.
But it is nobody’s fault except goal-shy Chelsea’s that they could not do the job in the first place against Championship opposition at Carrow Road.
Nine changes to the Blues’ starting line up showed how it was time for some others to try to score the goals which could drag them out of the new year doldrums.
Danny Drinkwater had the best effort by far with a shot on 26 minutes from 30 yards plus, powering the ball through the fingertips of Norwich keeper Angus Gunn, only to smash the crossbar.
What Conte perhaps should have done is play the kids.
During the half-time break Chelsea were only too pleased to show on the giant scoreboard that their youngsters were 6-0 up against West Brom in the FA Youth Cup — goals are not a problem down in the nursery.
The timing of the announcement could not have been better, just moments after information that the Tube delays which caused kick off to be put back 15 minutes had been cleared.
Fans had a chance to escape the match if they really wanted.
Michy Batshuayi may want to do the same this month and West Ham boss David Moyes was in the stands watching him last night. Bizarrely, Chelsea have been linked with a move for West Ham striker Andy Carroll and a £20million deal could be on the cards.
Batshuayi’s second-half goal was a tap in from a low centre into the area by Brazilian left-back Kenedy.
It did not require much other than sticking a foot out to divert the ball past Gunn but it will have done him some psychological good after playing second fiddle to Morata for most of the season.
Conte will still be a bit worried about his team. Norwich were desperately unlucky not to equalise when James Maddison’s 60th-minute shot was cleared off the line by Ethan Ampadu.
Keeper Willy Caballero also made a superb one-handed save from Maddison.
Nelson Oliveira hit the bar and did enough to rattle Chelsea consistently enough that Conte was forced to bring on Andreas Christensen and Morata for the last ten minutes of the 90.
Player of the Year N’Golo Kante had joined them supposedly to see the game out but in the fourth minute of injury time teenager Jamal Lewis sent the tie into extra-time when he flicked on a ball into the box from Timm Klose to score his first goal for the Canaries.
