'I'm in shock' - Jermaine Jenas, Rio Ferdinand unsure how Chelsea were denied a penalty against West Ham
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 11/02/2023 at 18:01 GMT
Tomas Soucek appeared to handle the ball in the box during Chelsea's 1-1 draw against West Ham. After a VAR review a penalty was not awarded. All the BT Sport pundits were in agreement that a penalty should have been given to Chelsea in the 89th minute, as well as former Premier League referee Peter Walton. The result leaves Graham Potter's side ninth in the table.
Man City have 'already been condemned' - Guardiola on club's financial charges
Jermaine Jenas and Rio Ferdinand believed Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty after a handball by Tomas Soucek in their draw with West Ham in the Premier League.
Chelsea took the lead in the first half through Joao Felix in the 16th minute, but former Chelsea defender Emerson equalised for the visitors just 12 minutes later.
After Soucek had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside, there was a moment of controversy in the 89th minute of the 1-1 draw when Soucek appeared to handle the ball inside the Hammers' box.
After a swift VAR review, the decision was made to play on. The decision was the wrong one according to Jermaine Jenas on BT Sport commentary.
"I'm in shock, I can't believe that's not been given," he said.
"You can land on the ground without using your arms if you need to. He knows what he's doing there. He even has a little bit of a look.
"Soucek as he is going down... that's a handball. It's a shot on target, it's going towards goal. It's the wrong decision in my opinion."
BT Sport's Rio Ferdinand said after the match it was a "great save" by Soucek.
"I was happy the referee and the VAR didn't see it but I thought he more or less saved it," he said.
"It's a great save. [Conor] Gallagher hits one with his left foot on the edge of the box. He gets down really well to his left. What a save that is! It's unbelievable. He's lucky.
"It's a definite stonewall penalty, I don't understand how you can't give that. You watch that afterwards and the human eye tells you that's a penalty. The distance between the person taking the shot and Soucek is one of the key elements."
Joe Cole added: "The crucial thing for me was the distance Soucek was from Gallagher. If he's right next to him and he's two yards from the ball with his arm then you can argue 'no penalty'.
"But when you're that far away in a split second, he knows what he's doing. It's a penalty."
Gianfranco Zola was in agreement. He said: "There is a shot to goal that is being blocked. It is in my opinion clearly a penalty."
Former Premier League referee Peter Walton said he was disappointed that referee Craig Pawson did not go to the pitchside monitor to review the incident.
He said: "The law is quite clear. The law says about unnaturally bigger, making that area of the ball to strike. The VAR thinks the arm is in a natural position to break his fall.
"But when you look at it closely to analyse it almost in slow motion the ball is past his knee and then he decides the arm is there.
"For me it's a deliberate act and I'm disappointed actually that VAR didn't give the opportunity for the referee to have a second look at it."
Chelsea are now winless in their last three matches after three consecutive draws.
Asked about the VAR incident in his post-match interview, Chelsea boss Graham Potter said: "It looks it [a penalty]. These are the little things that you need to go in your favour. That's life. Nothing to complain about there."
West Ham manager David Moyes added: "I've not seen it. I've not seen the VAR incident either when our goal was chalked off, but I know we gave them a couple of ones where they were on the verge of offside, a couple in the first half which could have gone against us.
"We had huge decision which went against us at Stamford Bridge so don't forget that."
Speaking to West Ham's official website later on Saturday, Soucek said he was within the rules to handle the ball in the box.
“My father [Frantisek] was a goalkeeper, so I did a save," he said.
"No, it wasn’t [a penalty] because I just fell on the floor and I know the rules that if I am on the floor and I touch the floor with my hand, even if the ball touches it, it is not handball, so I was quite clear that it’s not, but you never know what can show.
"It was really difficult for me, because I scored just one minute before that, so in my head it was in, but by the rules I was quite sure it would not be a penalty.”
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement