Anthony Taylor pulled from refereeing duty after social media abuse

Anthony Taylor will not referee a Premier League match this weekend after being subjected to abuse on social media after Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Bournemouth, with the English top flight now investigating. The 45-year-old issued a Premier League record of 14 yellow cards during Saturday’s game, eight of them to Chelsea players.

The referees’ body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited, said on Tuesday that Taylor would act as the fourth official on two occasions this weekend. He will officiate when Southampton host Ipswich on Saturday and Brighton welcome Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Chelsea and Bournemouth face Football Association fines of £25,000 for picking up more than six yellow cards in a match

Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, told Sky Sports after the game: “It’s not a problem this amount of yellow cards. It is what it is.

“I complained about a foul on Wesley Fofana, which, for me, was quite clear. But it can happen, eight yellow cards, probably because these sort of games are about duels and fight. Sometimes the game demands the way you have to behave.”

But his Bournemouth counterpart, Andoni Iraola, did not think it was an “aggressive or violent match” and seemed more aggrieved by the officiating. He said: “I will not talk about the referee. I have been talking and it is not working so I have decide now I will try the opposite and see what happens.”