Wolves have been beaten 3-2 by Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Gary O’Neil’s side once again stung by VAR – and pundit Jamie Carragher has given his immediate reaction following the game.
Wolves came from behind twice, before a late Willian penalty won it for the hosts.
Wanderers fell behind early doors when Alex Iwobi tapped in after a move down Wolves’ right-hand side. But Jean Ricner-Bellegarde then produced some brilliant footwork to set up Matheus Cunha to equalise.
Then in the second-half, VAR took centre stage.
Fulham got their first of two penalties, with referee Michael Salisbury awarding a spot-kick for a foul by Nelson Semedo on Tom Cairney. Replays showed Semedo got a touch on the ball, but VAR Stuart Attwell upheld the decision.
Wolves got back on level terms when Hwang Hee-chan was fouled by Tim Ream in the area, with the South Korean converting the spot-kick himself. Ream arguably should have been sent off having already been on a yellow card.
But then in injury time, Willian scored his second penalty of the game after Joao Gomes was adjudged to have fouled Harry Wilson. Replays showed Wilson started to go down before extremely minimal contact.
Jamie Carragher reacts to VAR controversies in Fulham vs Wolves
Speaking after the game on Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher said of the first incident involving Semedo and Cairney: “I think it’s extremely harsh. There’s no doubt Semedo gets a touch on the ball, not a lot but then there’s not a lot of contact also with Cairney there. We’re talking… he stands on his big toe.
“Once the referee has then given the decision, VAR is in a position where they’re thinking ‘OK is this clear and obvious, how big a mistake is it?’. That is not a penalty.
On the second incident involving Gomes and Wilson, he said: “I think again it’s extremely harsh. For me, the referee has got an unbelievable position. Sees it, shakes his head straight away. When you slow it down it looks a lot worse.
“I actually think that is more of a penalty than the first one. My problem with that is, once the referee hasn’t given it, that for me shouldn’t be overturned and given as a penalty.”
Absolutely farcical
Many Wolves fans were extremely tired of VAR long before this game but many are feeling utterly sick this evening.
Wanderers probably deserved a point from this game on balance, but there seems to be no hope of that happening for Wolves when a game is delicately balanced.
Ream and Carlos Vinicius should have both been sent off for Fulham, and the two penalties that were given were both not penalties.
To think Gary O’Neil recently said that he felt the officiating standards after a positive chat with Howard Webb, who must be feeling very uncomfortable this evening.