In an exciting all-London derby, Fulham played Chelsea to a standstill at Stamford Bridge. Drama unfolded surrounding two major VAR calls that essentially decided the match. On a dark, rainy, cold mid-afternoon, Chelsea pulled off a tight 1-0 shutout win in the matchup. Focus soon shifted from the game itself to the madness unfolding behind the scenes by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Michael Salisbury’s questionable calls.
The match featured two significant VAR interventions. The first involved Fulham’s disallowed goal, scored by Josh King, which was deemed offside following a review of Rodrigo Muniz’s challenge on Trevoh Chalobah. The referee pointed to the spot for Chelsea following a handball by Joao Pedro. This resulted in Chelsea’s lone goal of the game. Even Fulham’s manager, Marco Silva, was rightfully incensed at the officiating, the decisions made during the match.
VAR In the Spotlight
VAR’s presence cast a huge shadow over the match, especially during critical moments. Referee Rob Jones checked the pitch-side monitor to judge Muniz’s contact with Chalobah before ultimately disallowing King’s goal. This decision came after a lengthy review process that saw the VAR check beginning at 49:56 and Jones reaching the monitor at 51:22 before announcing his decision at 53:50.
We spent five minutes reviewing a possible Sessegnon handball with VAR. This all occurred just seconds before Chelsea received a penalty kick. The ball struck Sessegnon’s arm at 49:51, leading to the eventual penalty call that set up Chelsea’s winning goal. The simultaneous role of VAR in both tallies ignited controversy with Fulham players and supporters equally.
“I do not think it is a foul, it should stand. I do not know where else the attacker can put his foot. He has taken a long time over this Rob [Jones],” – Mike Dean
Former Premier League referee Michael Dean had his say on the decisions and brutally slammed Jones for going to VAR too much. Perhaps Jones was “sucked in,” Dean said, by Salisbury’s portrayal of the play. He criticized the decision as “poor,” calling out its lack of clarity.
Managerial Reactions
After the game, an understandably disappointed Silva bemoaned the disallowed goal and let fly at the officials. He later approached referee Rob Jones at half-time to ask for an explanation on why King’s goal was disallowed. Silva did not want to talk about it at all after the final whistle, showing all of his annoyance at the way things had played out.
“I am not in the best mood to [talk about it] but it was unbelievable how the goal was disallowed,” – Marco Silva
Silva accepted the penalty given to Chelsea. The reality, he noted, was that the exact same fouls would have just as easily been called against his own team. He agreed the handball was clear, but there were other, even more blatant incidents that merited punishment on the pitch that day.
“The penalty. Yes, it’s handball. Definitely, it is handball but you can find two or three fouls for ourselves,” – Marco Silva
Chelsea’s manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that he reviewed both controversial actions and echoed some of Silva’s sentiments regarding the incidents leading up to each decision.
“I review both actions. From my point of view, their player kicked our player and then the second one, it is handball,” – Enzo Maresca
The Aftermath of Controversy
Following the match, Fulham were left feeling aggrieved and questioning the integrity of officiating in high-stakes matches. Unfortunately, VAR interventions became the main attraction, even trumping what would’ve been a huge upset win for Fulham. It was a very solid showing from the young Lions against their West London neighbors.
While Silva chose not to pursue an official complaint regarding the officiating, the incidents have sparked discussions surrounding VAR’s role in football and its ability to make clear and accurate decisions in real-time situations. Supporters and analysts alike are calling for a fundamental rethinking of VAR’s use. Many are questioning whether it truly serves its purpose of reducing errors in officiating.
Michael Dean’s remarks on VAR’s effect on the game perfectly summarize the larger VAR-related argument. As the season progresses, we will be keeping a close watch. Yet to be determined is how these controversies affect teams’ on-field performances and fans’ perceptions of fairness in future games.
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