Report: The humiliating reason why VAR did not award Chelsea a penalty for Thomas Soucek’s obvious handball
2 min read
In Saturday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, Chelsea were denied a late penalty for an apparent handball by Thomas Soucek.
Chelsea: Soucek slid in and diverted Conor Gallagher’s shot from the edge of the box.
The referee rejected Chelsea players’ appeals, and, surprisingly, VAR did not intervene to flag it as a penalty.
According to Goal, VAR determined Soucek’s hand was in a natural position and did not make his body bigger, so it was not deemed a deliberate handball.
Former referee Peter Walton said the decision was incorrect and that it should have been a penalty. “The law is quite clear, it actually says unnaturally larger,” he said on BT Sport.
How a former Chelsea player scored to tie the game at 1-1 for West Ham
VAR clearly believes the arm was in the proper position to break his fall. When you look at it closely, you can see that it’s past his knee, and he decides.
“I believe it was deliberate, and I’m disappointed VAR did not allow the referee a second look.”
