West Ham United: Dermot Gallagher admits Tomas Soucek handball v Chelsea was definitely a penalty live on Sky Sports
Dermot Gallagher believes Tomas Soucek’s handball against Chelsea was definitely a penalty and that the VAR got “seduced” by the positioning of the West Ham United midfielder’s arm, he told Sky Sports.
The Hammers’ 1-1 draw against Chelsea was full of controversy after Soucek blocked a goal-bound shot of Conor Gallagher’s with his arm as he dived to the floor to block the ball.
Although no penalty was awarded following a VAR check, pundits such as Jermaine Jenas were stunned at the controversial decision that ultimately led to the shares being spoiled at the London Stadium.
Speaking live on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch on Monday morning (13 February, 11:50), ex-Premier League referee Gallagher admitted he thought Chelsea should have been awarded a spot-kick for the offence.
He said: “Definitely a penalty. I’ve spoken to very few people who don’t think it’s not a penalty.
“The VAR felt that it fell into the bracket of falling and the arm hitting the floor, but if you look at Soucek, he doesn’t fall to the floor, he actually dives towards the ball, there.
“That’s almost a goalkeeper-type movement. I think that’s what the VAR got seduced by is the arm on the floor, but if you look at it a few times here, it’s certainly a handball and a penalty.”
Got away with one
Sometimes at the end of the season, you look back at certain moments and ask, what if?
Soucek’s handball was certainly one of these crucial moments, as it turned out to be pivotal in claiming a huge point at the London Stadium. If Soucek had been penalised, and West Ham had lost the match, where would fans sit on the position of David Moyes as manager?
All of these factors can be swayed by tiny moments within a season such as this, and the Hammers will be extremely pleased that the decision went their way on this occasion because, to the naked eye, it looked like a stonewall penalty.
Overall, after a poor start to the game, West Ham took a deserved point and will be buoyed by an unbeaten run which has now stretched to four games.
After a tough trip to Spurs this Sunday (19 February), a favourable run of fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Aston Villa awaits Moyes’ side and represents a great opportunity to draw themselves clear of the relegation scrap.