Silva Slams VAR After Disallowed Goal in Fulham’s Loss to Chelsea

Fulham manager Marco Silva expressed his outrage following the disallowance of a goal by Joshua King during his team’s 2-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League on March 2, 2024. The decision stemmed from a VAR review that determined Fulham forward Rodrigo Muniz had made contact with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah in the lead-up to the first-half strike.

Silva labeled the decision as “unbelievable” while addressing the media. “How you disallow a goal like that one is unbelievable. Unbelievable,” he stated during an interview with TNT Sports. He refrained from elaborating further, acknowledging the potential consequences of his comments. “We can talk about many things but I’d prefer to say nothing more, because I’ll be punished. And I don’t want to be on the bench in the next game. I don’t want to pay fines,” he added.

The incident was not the only contentious moment of the match. Referee Robert Jones also consulted VAR to award a penalty that led to Chelsea’s second goal in the second half, following a handball by Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon in the penalty area. Silva voiced his frustration, indicating a perceived inconsistency in how VAR decisions were applied. “Similar things, for the opposition (and) for us, they decide in a different way. All the decisions from the VAR, all the decisions from the referee made a massive impact in the game,” he remarked.

Supporting Silva’s sentiments, former Chelsea midfielder and current television pundit Joe Cole criticized VAR’s effectiveness. He described the officiating as “an absolutely disgraceful performance from VAR.” Cole emphasized the emotional weight that football holds for fans and lamented the clinical nature of VAR, stating, “When you have a decision like (the first goal)… so subjective and nuanced and you are stopping the game for four minutes, then you have one man that has to go over to a screen and make a decision, it just doesn’t work.”

In contrast, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca defended the VAR decisions, believing they were correct. “From my point of view, it’s quite clear (Muniz) kicks Trev and the second one, it’s a handball,” he commented to reporters after the match.

The debate surrounding VAR continues to escalate, with both players and managers voicing their concerns over its impact on the game. As Fulham prepares for their next match, Silva’s remarks highlight the ongoing scrutiny of officiating standards in the Premier League.