Marco Silva was left furious after Josh King’s first-half strike against Chelsea was ruled out following a Video Assistant Referee review.
The forward thought he had put Fulham ahead in the 21st minute when he broke into the box and finished past Robert Sanchez.
But his celebrations were cut short as Rodrigo Muniz was judged to have impeded Trevoh Chalobah with a “careless challenge” in the build-up. Referee Rob Jones confirmed the decision moments later at Stamford Bridge.
“Unbelievable decision, unbelievable. I am not in the best mood to [talk about it] but it was unbelievable how the goal was disallowed,” Silva said in his post-match press conference.
“Harsh for him [King], a boy who was dreaming for this moment all of his career. Great moment for him and should not be disallowed.”
Silva also voiced his anger at the handling of stoppage time, pointing out inconsistencies after nine minutes were played instead of the signalled eight.
“I would love to explain many things. The first goal – eight minutes extra time. After the first corner it was already nine minutes. It is time to stop the game. That is the rules. I asked the referee and he said because we lost time. But I checked the eight minutes. The game didn’t stop.
“It’s very difficult. I make mistakes, the referee makes mistakes, but when it is black or white, we cannot see something that is not there.”
He added: “No, I did not speak with him. I spoke with him at half-time to try to understand why the goal was disallowed.”
While he confirmed the Cottagers would not be making a formal complaint to PGMOL, Silva made clear the club expects a full explanation.
Toosin is a dedicated sports writer with a strong background in crafting engaging and insightful content. With experience at Goal, he has developed a sharp editorial sense and a refined storytelling approach that brings depth and perspective to sports journalism. His passion for the game goes beyond the headlines, as he captures both the excitement of the sport and the compelling human narratives behind each event. Toosin’s work resonates with a broad and diverse audience, making global sports stories accessible, relatable, and impactful.
