Graeme Souness believes Maxwel Cornet’s equaliser during West Ham United’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea was rightly disallowed after Jarrod Bowen was penalised by VAR, speaking to talkSPORT (5 September, 12pm).
It’s fair to say VAR has had better weekends. It’s certainly had quieter ones.
There was that non-penalty in Leeds’ thumping 5-2 defeat to an Ivan Toney-inspired Brentford. The controversy surrounding Newcastle’s would-be winner against Crystal Palace. Alexis MacAllister’s chalked-off wondergoal. The Martin Odegaard moment.
And, to top it all off, a decision that had David Moyes stomping onto the Stamford Bridge pitch, eyes bulging. Cornet’s stoppage-time strike, one that would have earned West Ham a hard-earned point away at their London neighbours, was eventually ruled out after Bowen was adjudged to have fouled a sprawling Edouard Mendy iun the build.
Now, you might have expected to see notorious hardman-turned tough-talking pundit Souness mourning the death of the game during his latest talkSPORT stint. Instead, the Liverpool legend took a rather different stance.
Was VAR right to rule out Maxwel Cornet’s goal vs Chelsea?
“I would say it’s not even a grey area. My first reaction was that (Bowen) lead with his right foot. He’s showing his studs. That’s endangering Mendy,” Souness argues.
“I would say; Does Mendy see six studs coming his way? Simple question; is that a yes or a no? That makes it dangerous play in my opinion.
“People, I think, are focused on his left foot; his trailing leg.”
Now, at the risk of turning West Ham fans a shade of claret to match their shirt, Souness perhaps has a point. Bowen, having stumbled before attempting to regain his balance, does throw his studs rather dangerously in Mendy’s direction before clipping the ‘keeper with his other foot.
“There’s a stagger from Bowen,” Souness explains. “And I think that’s caused him to lead (with his right foot).
“Jarrod Bowen stumbles. When he gets to Mendy, his foot is showing six studs to the goalkeeper. That, to me, is endangering the keeper. It’s not like he’s trying to jump over the goalkeeper, it’s a different movement altogether.
“The referee gets it right. I think its more to do with his right foot (than his left).”
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