Football pundit Graeme Souness believes that Andy Madley was right to disallow a late equaliser in Chelsea’s Premier League fixture at the weekend.
Thomas Tuchel’s side recorded a 2-1 win over West Ham United with Kai Havertz netting late on to seal all three points after Ben Chilwell came on to equalise.
However, the visitors thought they had struck a late leveller themselves when Maxwel Cornet blasted to the net only for VAR to reverse the decision following a foul on Edouard Mendy in the build-up from Jarrod Bowen.
The decision led to serious backlash with Hammers captain Declan Rice labelling it a ‘shambles’ and while the refereeing body PGMOL have admitted that they made a mistake Souness still believes Madley made the right call to overturn his original decision.
Speaking on talkSPORT he said: “Jarrod Bowen stumbled prior to going for this ball.
“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 action altogether. I think he’s showing six studs towards the goalkeeper with his right leg.
“For me, I think the referee got it right.”
Souness certainly does offer a unique take on the incident and while many will argue his comments are wrong it still won’t change the fact that Chelsea ultimately came away with all three points.
Nonetheless,Tuchel will be well aware that his side were fortunate to come away with a result given how their east London counterparts frustrated them for much of the afternoon on Saturday and their attention will be on Dinamo Zagreb before a trip to Fulham at the weekend as they look to put together consecutive victories for the first time this season.
