'It's laughable' - Ex-PGMOL boss lashes out at 'cheating' Chelsea star vs Man United
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Credit: Imago / TNT Sports Mon 20 April 2026 10:45, UK Marc Cucurella deserved to be punished for a blatant act of simulation during Chelsea‘s defeat to Manchester United.That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Michael Oliver has allowed for diving to continue in the Premier League without a caution.In the 71st minute, with the Blues chasing an equaliser at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 18 April, the Spaniard went down under a challenge from Casemiro on the edge of the penalty area.He was crying out for a penalty to be awarded, but replays showed very minimal contact, if any, from United’s No.18, so the referee was right not to fall for the player’s tricks during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat. ⚽ Chelsea Matchday⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Chelsea fixture at Stamford Bridge. VISIT THE CHELSEA MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Michael Oliver fails to punish Marc Cucurella for ‘cheating’Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “It’s a clear act of simulation, which deserves to be yellow-carded.
If referees aren’t going to punish it, players are going to keep doing it. “They will eventually get what they want, which is to deceive the referee, and we get a wrong outcome.
“They’re rightly waving penalty shouts to one side, but the player has attempted to deceive them. When you look at acts of simulation, a lot of them are laughable.” Marc Cucurella vs Man UnitedStats [FotMob]Minutes played90Touches67Chances created2Interceptions5Ground duels won40% (2/5)Fouls won1Fouls committed3The full-back, often seen as a pantomime villain in the Premier League, was fortunate not to be shown a yellow card in this instance, but it certainly wasn’t a good look for the experienced player.Liam Rosenior under pressure after Man United defeatMick Brown told Football Insider that Liam Rosenior is already facing a “toxic” Chelsea squad, and that was before the disappointing defeat at home against the Red Devils.The Blues are now seven points adrift of the Champions League spots, with just five games remaining, and Brentford and Bournemouth both level on points with the West London outfit.Missing out on Champions League football would be an almighty blow to the new manager’s future at Stamford Bridge, despite only being appointed in January of this year.Time already looks to be running out for Rosenior, with multiple names already emerging as a potential replacement, even with his contract running until the summer of 2032. 🦁 Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Chelsea Insider Access Get the full story from Stamford Bridge and Cobham with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from West London.