Leicester City’s promotion to the Premier League has meant the return of VAR after a season without the technology in the Championship.
Steve Cooper was left frustrated as Leicester City drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace, having been two goals ahead thanks to strikes from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi.
What made this all the more agonising was that Palace’s first goal was originally ruled offside before VAR intervened to overturn the decision; adjudging Jean-Philippe Mateta to actually be onside despite seemingly inconclusive evidence.
Whilst VAR went against Leicester at Selhurst Park, they have benefitted from it this season as Wout Faes saw his goal against Fulham overturned, although the Foxes went on to lose that game 2-1.
Howard Webb explains why Wout Faes’ Leicester City goal stood
Faes header from a Facundo Buonanotte corner went straight in without anyone else touching the ball but was initially ruled out as Vardy was adjudged to be intervening with Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno from an offside position.
Former referee Howard Webb is now the chief of PGMOL and he went on Sky Sports’ Mic’d Up show to discuss a number of the recent controversies in the Premier League.
Speaking to Michael Owen on Faes’ goal, Webb explained why the officials eventually made the right decision at Craven Cottage as he said: “The referee’s call in this case was offside. They penalised Jamie Vardy and that was clearly and obviously wrong and the VAR was right to intervene.
“And the reason it was wrong is because, actually, when the ball is headed goal-ward by Faes, that’s the moment we make the offside judgement and by that moment Jamie Vardy had moved away from the goalkeeper.
“[He is] out of his line of sight, is no longer in physical contact and whatever happened before then doesn’t matter in terms of offside.”
Webb went on to add: “There’s a bit of contact there [before Faes’ header], but not enough for an actual foul.
“He moves away from the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper can see the ball, he can see Faes coming in to head the ball, Vardy’s out of the way by then and this is just not an offside offence and therefore it was a good intervention.”
Set-pieces could prove crucial for Leicester City this season
That Faes header was Leicester’s only goal from a set-piece so far in the league this campaign but it could prove a vital weapon in Steve Cooper’s arsenal if he is to keep the Foxes in the Premier League.
With chances at a premium in the Premier League, Leicester need to find a way of maximising set-piece opportunities and the goal against Fulham showed there is certainly the potential to do this.
Faes, Caleb Okoli are Wilfred Ndidi are all big aerial threats and should be utilised by Cooper.
The overturned goal against Fulham also shows that Vardy can continue to be a menace to opposition goalkeepers as long as he gets himself out of their line of sight before contact is made by Leicester teammate.
Leave a Reply