The former Premier League referee Peter Walton believes Chelsea are right to feel hard done about a clear Tariq Lamptey handball in the build-up to Brighton & Hove Albion 's winning goal in their FA Cup fourth round tie.

Enzo Maresca thought the handball before Kaoru Mitoma scored was "quite clear". The Blues head coach also alluded to other controversial decisions over the weekend when speaking to the BBC after Chelsea's 2-1 defeat.

"I think the handball is quite clear. In the last two or three days, there were many different moments in different games that, without VAR, sometimes are more complicated," said Maresca.

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However, he also acknowledged: "Sometimes, even with VAR, you never know if it's [going to be given as] handball or not. "I don't know. This season, we saw so many handballs, and the VAR was not there."

Walton, though, believes in this instance it would have been ruled out. He told talkSPORT BET "I think Tariq Lamptey's handball against Chelsea clearly had an impact on the control of the ball for one thing, the path of the ball for the second thing, and it led almost immediately to the goal.

"In the law, that is not allowed, so if there was VAR there, it would have picked up the fact that the arm was removed from his body and went towards the ball as well. "VAR would have given the referee the opportunity to see it again and I believe it would have been ruled out if he had that opportunity.

"It also clearly fell within the attacking phase of play in the build-up to the goal, as it was the last moment when Brighton won back possession. "Chelsea can feel hard done by that one, in my opinion.

"If VAR was available in FA Cup matches, they would have used it in that scenario."

On his side's exit of the FA Cup at the hands of Brighton, Maresca said: "It’s for sure a shame, no doubt. "In the same way, in the last game against West Ham we were losing but in the end we won 2-1. That is part of the season, part of football, sometimes you are down and win and sometimes it happens like tonight.

"But I said already to the players weeks ago – and said again tonight – that as a team we need to learn to win games 1-0. That is what big teams do.

"We started very good and the only shot they had in the first half was the goal. We controlled and we created some chances. In the second half, it was more of less the same; probably their only shot on goal was the second goal.

"After the second goal, we had a few chances to draw but we missed."