West Ham and Newcastle were both left fuming following a day of Premier League VAR controversy.
Raging David Moyes confronted referee Andrew Madley at full time and let rip in officials’ room too after he overturned his initial decision to allow West Ham’s 90th minute equaliser at Chelsea to stand, branding the U-turn ‘a ridiculously bad decision’ and accusing Edouard Mendy of faking injury to get the goal chalked off.
Captain Declan Rice labelled the decision ‘one of the worst VAR decisions’ since its introduction to the Premier League.
David Moyes confronted officials after West Ham were denied a late equaliser against Chelsea
Meanwhile Eddie Howe claimed Newcastle were robbed of a legitimate goal against Crystal Palace after a decision by referee Michael Salisbury that was branded ‘pathetic’ by club legend Alan Shearer.
At Stamford Bridge, West Ham thought they had levelled when Maxwel Cornet fired in after the ball ran loose following a collision between Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and Jarrod Bowen.
Bowen challenged for a mis-placed Reece James header as Mendy flew out, missed the Blues stopper with his leading foot but caught him with his trailing foot before Cornet scored.
At first Madley gave the goal but changed his mind after being instructed to review the incident pitchside.
Referee Andy Madley disallowed West Ham’s late goal at Stamford Bridge after consulting VAR
Moyes said: ‘The goalkeeper comes to take it and actually fumbles out of his hands. And he could never recover it. Then he acts as if he has got a shoulder injury. The goalkeeper tries to fake an injury on the first goal as well.
‘I am amazed VAR sent the referee to have a look at it. Because I had a quick look at it at the side. Once I saw it I thought even if he goes to the TV there is no way he is overturning this because this is a goal. It was a ridiculously bad decision.
‘There is no excuse for that not to be a goal. None at all. Sadly this is the level of our elite refereeing at the moment.
Hammers captain Declan Rice called the decision to overturn the goal ‘one of the worst VAR decisions made since it’s come into the game’
‘Jarrod said he never touched the goalkeeper at all and if you look at it, he jumps and he straddles him, and if there was anything there might have been a slight trailing foot, if there was anything at all. The goalkeeper had already mishandled the ball and dropped the ball and it came off him four, five, six yards where he couldn’t recover it.”
‘I’ve lost faith in the people putting it up for VAR. After watching it I can’t see how the goal was not given.’
Witnesses claimed Moyes aimed expletives at Madley as he vented his fury at the decision in the referee’s room.
Moyes added: ‘I didn’t want an explanation from them because it would have been a tough one to give wouldn’t it. My goodness I don’t think anybody could justify that. Even the referee couldn’t.’
Rice said on Twitter: ‘That’s up there with one of the worst VAR decisions made since it’s come into the game. Shambles.’
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel said: ‘There is a reason I think it went in our favour. It’s my opinion and I don’t know if everyone shares the opinion that it’s very clear it’s a foul.’
At St James’s Park, Newcastle looked like they had taken the lead through a Tyrick Mitchell own goal in the 51st minute of yesterday’s stalemate at St James’ Park.
Newcastle thought they had taken the lead through a Tyrick Mitchell own goal against Crystal Palace
But Salisbury chalked off the goal after consulting his pitchside monitor, adjudging Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock to have pushed Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita before the ball went in off Mitchell.
Howe, though, felt that the initial foul came from Mitchell on Willock, claiming his player was nudged off balance and that caused him to accidentally floor Guaita.
‘I didn’t think it should have been disallowed, personally,’ said the Newcastle manager, whose side are now winless in five games.
But VAR overturned the goal, claiming that Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock had pushed the Palace goalkeeper in the buildup
Magpies boss Eddie Howe expressed his disappointment with the decision to disallow his side’s goal
‘I thought it was a foul or a push on Joe Willock in the build-up to the ball coming in. Joe’s momentum is fixed at that point from his opponent, it then carries him into the goalkeeper.
‘Without that push, there is no way Joe would have gone in with that force. For me, it’s not a foul. If anything, it’s a penalty if it’s not a goal. I was very surprised with the outcome.’
Newcastle icon Shearer tweeted: ‘Willock (was) clearly pushed into the keeper. Pathetic decision.’
However, Palace boss Patrick Vieira believes the officials called it right. ‘After looking at the images after the game, I thought that was the right decision from the referee,’ said the Frenchman.