Fulham captain Tom Cairney has admitted to being ‘bamboozled’ by refereeing decisions after Anthony Taylor – and the video assistant referee – opted not to send Malo Gusto off for his studs-up challenge on Willian during Saturday’s SW6 derby.

The full back was shown a yellow card for his challenge on the former Chelsea winger and Cairney told the written press after Fulham’s narrow defeat at Stamford Bridge that he was surprised by the decision.

“When you think Dominic Calvert-Lewin got sent off for not touching anyone and then that one was just a yellow card … I am just bamboozled. He has hit him clean. He has got shin pads but he has hit him high and in modern football you can’t do that. We saw it on the laptop at half-time and all six studs are on his leg.

We asked the ref at the time and he said it had gone to VAR to be checked, so we are so confused. I am just really confused, that’s normally a straight red. Maybe you don’t get these things away from home. It is strange.”