Another moment of referee and VAR’s decision-making impacted Chelsea vs. Fulham as Chelsea was awarded a controversial penalty for handball.
The game is increasingly dominated by decisions, and for Marco Silva’s Fulham side, it was at least the third moment of the day’s controversy.
Trevo Charova’s cross went into Fulham’s box and crashed into Ryan Sesegnon’s arm, and Rob Jones went to the screen to check for a handball penalty.
The controversy continued as VAR checks showed that the ball had taken João Pedro’s move in the build-up to second handball.
Sesegnon was seen as an unnatural position, and Jones explained to him.
“After the review, Fulham 30 makes his body unnaturally bigger by blocking the cross with his arms away from his body. So my final decision is a penalty kick.”
After Josh King’s goal was granted and Pedro’s goal was late and he was furious, Fulham’s boss Silva laughed only in frustration late in the first half.
Commenting on the game, TNT Sports Presenter Darren Fletcher said:
“So he clearly sees the ball that Joan Pedro is hitting, something I don’t know or intended.
After a lengthy VAR review, a penalty was given despite Pedro’s handball being led by a Chalova cross, urging Fulham fans to yell and express their anger in the stands.
Fletcher continued: “I have to say that in the current situation he was given a penalty for Sesegnon’s. It was the first bit and whether he should have played handball at João Pedro.
“It’s a day for officials. The goal has been ruled out. There have been many goals. And now there are this penalty.”
Lucy Ward added:
“I think Marco Silva isn’t your day in terms of decisions. Fernandez doesn’t care, Chelsea fans don’t care, harsh reality.”
Fulham was extremely unlucky to see their opening goal not being allowed after the 18-year-old King scored a spectacular solo effort in his first Premier League goal.
The goal was rejected after Rodrigo Muniz was considered to have stepped out of Trevo Charova’s foot in the accumulation of goals, and it was just the beginning of Silva’s bad day on the bridge.
