GRAEME SOUNESS believes VAR was correct to rule out West Ham’s late goal at Chelsea.
Maxwel Cornet thought he had struck a late equaliser but Jarrod Bowen was penalised for a foul on Edouard Mendy after a consultation with VAR.
The incident sparked huge controversy with Hammers manager David Moyes and captain Declan Rice left incensed.
But pundit Souness believes Bowen endangered Mendy with his right foot, despite only his left foot making contact with the shot-stopper.
Souness told talkSPORT: “First of all he stumbles. When he gets to the goalkeeper Mendy his right foot is showing six studs to the goalkeeper.
“Now that for me is endangering the goalkeeper. It’s not like ‘I’m trying to jump over him’, it’s a different kind of movement, action altogether.
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“Jarrod Bowen has no history of looking to hurt people and I think the reason that happened is because he has a stumble prior to him setting off before he gets to the goalkeeper. So I think the referee was right.
“People will focus on his left, his trailling leg catching Mendy and Mendy rolling over holding his shoulder.
“But I think it’s more to do with his right foot where he’s showing six studs in the collision.”
Moyes described the decision to chalk off the goal as “rotten” in a rant that has escaped an FA charge.
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The Hammers boss said: “You have seen it, it is a scandalous decision, absolutely rotten from one of the supposedly elite referees – it doesn’t say much about whoever sent him over from VAR as well – it is an unbelievable decision against us.
“We feel we got back to 2-2 and it was not down to anything we have done.
“I support a lot of the VAR stuff, I actually think the goalkeeper dives, he is faking an injury because he cannot get to the next one – he did the same on the first goal as well.
“The referee somehow gets that so wrong it is incredible.”
Moyes also accused Mendy of faking injury and made his feelings known to referee Andrew Madley in the dressing room after the game.
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Rice was also upset and said of the incident: “That’s up there with one of the worst VAR decisions made since it’s come into the game. Shambles.”
The Premier League is set to review the controversial VAR decision made at Stamford Bridge with the referees’ governing body PGMOL.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
