Fulham’s Marco Silva Criticizes VAR Decisions in Chelsea Match

Fulham manager Marco Silva expressed his disappointment with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after several decisions went against his team during the Premier League match at Chelsea on Saturday.

“I can’t believe they disallowed that goal. It’s unbelievable,” Silva told TNT Sports.

“I could say more, but I’d rather not, as I might get punished. I want to be on the bench for the next game and avoid fines,” he added.

The first controversial moment happened in the first half when Joshua King scored, giving Fulham the lead. However, VAR disallowed the goal due to a foul by Rodrigo Muniz in the buildup, who had stepped on Trevoh Chalobah’s foot.

Referee Robert Jones also checked with VAR before awarding a penalty that led to Chelsea’s second goal in the second half after the ball struck Ryan Sessegnon’s arm in the box. Shortly after, a similar incident in the Chelsea penalty area involving Malo Gusto did not result in a penalty for Fulham.

“For the opposition and for us, similar situations are judged differently. The VAR and referee decisions greatly affected the game,” Silva noted.

Former Chelsea player and pundit Joe Cole agreed with Silva’s assessment.

“VAR’s performance was disgraceful. Football means so much to many people, yet VAR feels detached and it simply doesn’t work. Let’s be honest,” Cole said on TNT Sports.

Published on Aug 30, 2025