Fulham aim tongue-in-cheek dig at Premier League officials as ‘cruelly’ disallowed Josh King strike against Chelsea wins club’s goal of the month award vote after VAR controversy
Fulham aim tongue-in-cheek dig at Premier League officials as ‘cruelly’ disallowed Josh King strike against Chelsea wins club’s goal of the month award vote after VAR controversy.
Fulham made a light-hearted joke at Premier League officials after Josh King’s “cruelly” disallowed strike against Chelsea earned the club’s goal of the month title for August.
The teenager’s brilliant finale may not have counted on the scoreboard, but fans made sure it was remembered by giving him an overwhelming 83% of the vote.
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![Chelsea v Fulham - Premier League]()
Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
The incident in question occurred in the 22nd minute of Fulham’s match against their west London opponents. King took advantage of a wonderful through-ball from Sander Berge, drove at the heart of the Blues’ defenders, left Tosin Adarabioyo tripping with a deft fake and rifled a shot past the custodian.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
However, once VAR intervened, jubilation swiftly changed into wrath. Michael Salisbury asked referee Rob Jones to assess a collision between Rodrigo Muniz and Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah around the halfway line.
Muniz had mistakenly stepped on Chalobah’s foot, and after several anxious minutes, the referee ruled the goal out due to a foul.
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![Chelsea v Fulham - Premier League]()
Getty Images SportTELL ME MORE
Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), later stated that the officials had made a mistake.
He claimed the disallowed goal was a “misjudgement” and that both the VAR and the referee should have allowed it to stand. The Premier League’s independent review panel agreed with Webb’s assessment, stating that the “original on-field decision” to allow play to continue was correct.
Fulham’s displeasure was exacerbated by the unanimous decision, which led to a 2-0 defeat.
WHAT FULHAM SAID
Fulham responded by celebrating the strike regardless. Their goal of the month announcement praised King’s poise and skill, stating that, while the moment had been robbed, “there is no denying the brilliance of the effort”.
The club’s statement read: “King’s spectacular strike away at Chelsea has been chosen Fulham’s Goal of the Month for August.
Though it was cruelly taken away from the 18-year-old, there is no denying his skill, as he confidently burst forward onto Sander Berge’s defence-splitting pass and cut inside Tosin, before sitting the former Fulham man down and drilling a shot through his legs and inside the near post.
That he received 83.1% of the votes illustrates how great that occasion was, or would have been.”
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![Chelsea v Fulham - Premier League]()
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR FULHAM?
Fulham will have the chance to put the controversy behind them when they host Leeds United at Craven Cottage this weekend. The emphasis will be on bouncing back and making moments of greatness, like as King’s spectacular strike, count.
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