Liam Rosenior hit out at referee Paul Tierney, saying he should have focused on his job rather than on crashing Chelsea’s pre-match huddle after Newcastle won at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 14 years.

A bizarre moment before kick-off saw Tierney stand in the centre of the Chelsea players as captain Reece James spoke to the team.

Rosenior, who said he wants to “protect” his players, confirmed he would contact PGMOL, the referees’ body, to seek clarity on why the pre-game ritual was disrupted.

Defending the ritual, Rosenior said: “My players made a decision that they wanted to be around the ball, to respect the ball and show unity and leadership.”