Graham Potter Mocks Tomas Soucek, West Ham As Chelsea Bemoan VAR Penalty Decision

• Graham Potter offered a sarcastic comment after Chelsea were denied a late penalty against West Ham
• Tomas Soucek handled the ball but the Video Assistant Referee recommended no further action
• The point mounts pressure on Potter with European football next season slipping away

Chelsea Head Coach Graham Potter dropped a sly dig on Tomas Soucek following a controversial Video Assistant Referee decision on February 19th.

Chelsea felt aggrieved after their pleas for a penalty late in the game were waved away despite the ball clearly hitting Soucek's hand.

The VAR was content with the on-field decision as both sides picked up a point in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff.

Joao Felix scored his first goal in Chelsea colours before former Blue Emerson Palmieri equalised proceedings moments later.

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Potter's response

Soucek had a goal disallowed before handling the ball in his own areas in the last minutes of the game. Speaking after the game, Potter responded sarcastically to the incident:

"I thought it was a good save. You need your goalkeeper sometimes to get you the points. It looks like one of those that if it was given it wouldn’t have been overturned, but obviously it wasn’t given" as quoted by the Guardian.

The point extends Chelsea's winless run to three games after goalless draws against Liverpool and Fulham.

Why was the penalty not given?

Sports Brief had earlier reported that the Premier League and the referees' body are yet to provide an official reason but, football rules dictate that if a player is falling and their arm is between themselves and the ground for support and the ball hits the arm, it will not be a penalty. It would be adjudged that he used his arm for support.

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Pawson and the Video Assistant Referee seemed to have been convinced Soucek used his arm for support. That's up for discussion with Chelsea fans condemning the decision online.

Cucurella's struggles

Sports Brief has also reported that Chelsea fans all said the same thing about Marc Cucurella after a shambolic first half against West Ham United on Saturday, February 11.

Cucurella only joined the Blues in the summer of 2022 in Chelsea’s record-breaking spending spree for £62million from Brighton.

He was initially brought to deputise Ben Chilwell but eventually made the first XI because of Chilwell’s consistent injury concerns.