Gary Lineker and Ian Wright, hosts of Match of the Day, have expressed their dismay over a controversial VAR decision that denied Wolves a late equalizer against West Ham United.
The match at Molineux saw Pablo Sarabia give Wolves the lead with a penalty, countered by Lucas Paqueta’s equalizer for West Ham, followed by James Ward-Prowse’s goal from a corner kick putting the Hammers ahead. In the dying moments of the game, Max Kilman’s header seemed to secure a dramatic draw for Wolves, only for VAR to disallow the goal, citing Wolves’ Tawanda Chirewa obstructing West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski in an offside position.
The decision sparked criticism from Lineker and Wright, who questioned the interpretation of the off-side rule. Lineker highlighted the ambiguity of the law and suggested that Chirewa’s positioning did not impede Fabianski’s movement. Wright echoed the sentiment, expressing sympathy for the Wolves and Gary O’Neil, the team’s manager.
Dion Dublin, another pundit, shifted focus onto Fabianski’s role in the incident, likening it to a striker attempting to lose his marker. Lineker proposed the introduction of an appeals system to alleviate the growing frustrations with VAR, suggesting that teams could have limited appeals per match to challenge controversial decisions.
While Lineker advocated for the appeals system as a potential solution, Wright remained skeptical, pointing out the fallibility of VAR officials. The discussion underscored the ongoing debate surrounding VAR and its impact on the interpretation of football laws, with differing opinions on how best to address the contentious issues it raises.
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