An angry Marco Silva waited for referee Robert Jones on the Stamford Bridge pitch at half-time in Fulham’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday.
The Fulham manager stood near the centre circle shaking hands with his players as they walked off, but his real focus was on Jones.
The official, flanked by security, gestured for Silva to head down the tunnel, which he eventually did while still visibly seething.
Silva’s frustration stemmed from an incident in the 22nd minute when 18-year-old Josh King thought he had put Fulham ahead.
The teenager showed great composure to cut inside and score, only for VAR to intervene. After reviewing the footage on the pitchside monitor, Jones ruled that Rodrigo Muniz had committed a ‘careless challenge’ on Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up and chalked the goal off.
The decision infuriated Fulham and drew heavy criticism from pundits. Former Chelsea star Joe Cole told TNT Sports: ‘Chalobah goes to win the ball on the halfway line and there is contact but it’s not a foul.
Marco Silva was not impressed by the officiating of Fulham’s game at Chelsea on Saturday
Referee Robert Jones made two big VAR-assisted calls that went in the home team’s favour
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‘From his perspective once he goes to ground he can no longer impact the game, so he has been very clever in staying down. But if we love football, we can’t be stopping it for things like that.’
Karen Carney added: ‘This goal should have stood. We are denying an 18-year-old their moment in the Premier League and he has been the best player on the pitch.’
On BBC Radio 5 Live, Nedum Onuoha said: ‘Chalobah has got away with murder and the fact he stayed on the floor sold it to them.’
Fulham’s mood worsened when Chelsea went in front in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time. After eight minutes were initially signalled, Enzo Fernandez’s corner was headed in by Joao Pedro in the 54th minute of the half.
The travelling supporters chanted ‘1-0 to the referee’ as boos rang around the away end. That chant became ‘2-0 to the referee’ early in the second half after another VAR-assist.
This one was a penalty kick converted by Enzo Fernandez after replays showed that Chalobah’s cross had struck the outstretched arm of Ryan Sessegnon.
However, Fulham were annoyed again because replays also appeared to suggest that Pedro had handled the ball too, moments before Sessegnon.
Silva’s reaction to this decision was simply to laugh.
