- Eze had a free-kick ruled out as the referee blew for a foul before it hit the net
- Pundits felt it was not a foul and VAR could not intervene due to the early whistle
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VAR officials could not overturn the call to rule out Eberechi Eze‘s free-kick during Crystal Palace‘s 2-1 loss to Brentford because the referee blew the whistle before the ball entered the goal.
Palace fans had reason to be aggrieved when Eze’s impressive free-kick goal, crashing in off the post, was denied due to a scuffle in the box.
Referee Samuel Barrott felt that Palace’s Will Hughes had fouled Nathan Collins and blew for a foul with the ball in mid-flight.
The decision sparked intense scrutiny at half-time from the Sky Sports pundits who felt, as lots of viewers did, that there had been no foul at all.
‘The referee has had a nightmare. He really has. It’s a monumental mistake,’ said Jamie Redknapp.
Samuel Barrott ruled out Eberechi Eze’s hit before the ball hit the net for what he deemed a foul
He felt that Crystal Palace’s Will Hughes had brought down Brentford’s Nathan Collins
Jamie Redknapp felt that the referee had had a ‘nightmare’ and acted too quickly
‘He should just have let it breathe. I’m not even sure it’s a foul first and foremost. I feel so sorry for Eze. This is genius what he does here.
‘The referee is just getting too involved. Stay out of it. Let the game breathe. It’s a brilliant piece of play.
‘He could have blown after if he wanted to but to do it so quickly, I really feel so sorry for Eze. It’s a brilliant goal.’
Micah Richards jumped in: ‘Collins has got hold of him (Hughes, Eze’s team-mate). It’s not a foul!’
Redknapp added: ‘They’re not interfering with play either.’
After the match he said: ‘It’s Sam Barrott’s first Premier League game. Maybe a little bit excited to get involved.
‘It isn’t even that much of a foul to worry about. The referee will learn from it.’
The game was 0-0 at the time but minutes later Bryan Mbeumo would cut inside from the right and curl the ball into the far corner to give Brentford a 1-0 lead.
Eze was praised for a ‘brilliant piece of play’ but was denied a first goal of the campaign
Ethan Pinnock’s own goal early in the second half saw Palace draw level but Yoane Wissa restored the hosts’ lead when he bundled the ball in after 76 minutes.
This was Oliver Glasner’s fourth defeat in charge of Palace in 14 games after his revitalising effect in the latter stages of last season after he replaced Roy Hodgson.
Regarding Eze’s ruled-out strike, the Premier League explained: ‘The referee awarded a free-kick to Brentford for a foul by Hughes on Collins. The whistle was blown before the ball entered the goal, so VAR cannot intervene and the referee’s call stands.’
