'Disgusting!' - Chelsea fans left fuming after 'stonewall' penalty vs West Ham ruled out by VAR
Furious Chelsea fans have brutally slammed VAR after the Blues were denied a ‘stonewall’ penalty against West Ham on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid loanee Joao Felix, who arrived at Stamford Bridge last month, fired Graham Potter’s men into the lead in the 16th minute at the London Stadium.
However, David Moyes’ West Ham rallied back in the first half and found the all-important equaliser 12 minutes later through Emerson Palmieri.
Chelsea continued to fight back against West Ham and came close to breaking the deadlock in the second half, only for VAR to rule out a clear-cut penalty for the Blues.
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Kai Havertz played the ball into the path of Conor Gallagher near the edge of the box, with his Chelsea teammate aiming his strike towards the bottom corner of the West Ham net.
West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek lunged himself into the path of Gallagher’s shot and the ball struck his hand before it rolled out of play.
VAR was called into action and a check was completed, only for Chelsea to be denied a crucial penalty late into the second half.
Check it out in the clip below.
Chelsea players thought they had a penalty for handball, but VAR says no… 📺 pic.twitter.com/popnClPiUj
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 11, 2023
Irate Chelsea fans flocked to social media to ruthlessly slam the call after the Blues were held to a 1-1 draw against West Ham.
“The handball rulings in the [Premier League] this season have been abhorrent, against us there’s been plenty, too,” one fan tweeted.
While another added: “Criminal, mate! Best league in the world has the worst refs in the world!”
A third Twitter user wrote: “VAR is [an] absolute disgrace. Get rid of it immediately, absolutely waste of energy!”
“Literally saved the ball with his hand, how’s that not a penalty? Get to f**k,” one fan posted.
And a fifth commented: “This is a disgusting decision. What’s the point in having VAR when they get most things wrong? Joke.”
Chelsea, who are ninth in the league table, are now nine points adrift of fourth-place Newcastle, who face Bournemouth at 5:30pm UK time on Saturday.
West Ham, meanwhile, are level on points with 16th-place Wolves and are two points clear of the Premier League regelation zone.
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Topics: Chelsea, West Ham United, Premier League, England, Football
Adnan Riaz