Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has questioned the choices made by the video assistant referee in Monday's 2-0 home defeat to Manchester United, including the decision to not send off Harry Maguire. 

United captain Maguire, 26, looked fortunate to remain on the field after an incident with Michy Batshuayi in the 20th minute. Kurt Zouma and Olivier Giroud later had goals ruled out for a foul in the build-up and a tight offside call, respectively.

Lampard objected to how VAR was utilised and questioned why officials don't make more use of the pitchside monitor in his post-match comments, per the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel: "Harry Maguire should have been sent off, that's clear, and that obviously changes the game. Azpilicueta gets shoved so the goal should stand. I don't get why they aren't looking at the [pitchside] monitor. It should be used."

Anthony Martial headed United in front shortly before the break, and Maguire later nodded home a Bruno Fernandes corner to double their advantage:

The former Leicester City star scored his first Premier League goal for United in his 26th top-flight appearance for the club, but the game could have panned out very differently had he been dismissed on 20 minutes.

Maguire told Sky Sports after the game that he felt referee Anthony Taylor had "seen sense" by not sending him off after he appeared to kick out at Batshuayi in a touchline incident:

The Blues dugout looked incensed after Maguire seemed to have made unnecessary contact with the Chelsea's striker's groin, but Maguire defended his reaction as natural:

"I knew I caught him, but I felt like he was gonna fall on me. My natural reaction was to straighten my leg and, if he was to fall on me, try and hold him up. Obviously I've got studs on my boots and it probably looks worse than it was on TV, but it was my natural reaction. It wasn't a kick out, no intent.

"I did catch him, but I think it's the right decision in the end.

"I didn't have any intent to hurt him or kick him. I’'ve got studs on the end of my boots, so it makes it a little bit worse, but I apologised to him, and it's nice that the referee has seen sense."

Maguire revelled in his first top-flight goal for the club and a decisive one at that, which helped United move up to seventh in the table and within three points of fourth-place Chelsea:

Lampard's side have now won once in their last five games across all competitions, failing to beat United and Arsenal (2-2) in their last two home outings.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News commented on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's swift improvement upon United's performances at Stamford Bridge:

The Red Devils have failed to concede in their past four matches and will look to go five unbeaten when they travel to Club Brugge on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round-of-32 clash.

Chelsea return on Saturday when they host rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a derby showdown that could see them fall out of the top four should they lose a second straight match at home.