September 21st 2024.
In the first half of the match against West Ham, Chelsea had a dominant start, scoring two impressive goals. Enzo Maresca's team was quick and took advantage of some sloppy defending, allowing Nicolas Jackson to receive a pass from Jadon Sancho and run nearly 30 yards unchallenged before scoring a goal between Alphonse Areola's legs. The Senegal international then doubled the lead 15 minutes later with a skilled finish using the outside of his foot, beating an offside trap.
Chelsea seemed to be in control and on track to a comfortable victory, but their luck nearly ran out when Wesley Fofana appeared to bring down Crysencio Summerville in the penalty area. As the summer signing from Leeds fell to the ground, the West Ham fans were certain a penalty would be awarded. However, the referee, Samuel Barrott, didn't agree and the VAR upheld his decision.
The Premier League later clarified that the VAR had checked and confirmed that there was no sustained holding by Fofana, thus no penalty was given. Former Chelsea and West Ham legend Joe Cole, who was working for TNT Sport, believed that West Ham had been hard done by and that this was a penalty. He pointed out that Fofana had his hands on Summerville in the box, obstructing him.
Cole expressed his disappointment with VAR's involvement in this incident, stating that they didn't want to see a "sanitised version" of the game. He sympathized with the West Ham fans and their disappointment with the referee's decision. Ultimately, Cole acknowledged that the referee had the best view and it was his professional call, but felt for the Hammers in this situation.
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