West Ham United

West Ham United

Premier League • England

David Moyes lets fly with VAR tirade after ‘scandalous decision’ costs West Ham point at Chelsea

David Moyes West Ham Utd 2022 TEAMtalk1

David Moyes was incensed with referee Andrew Madley after he consulted the pitchside monitor to rule out a West Ham equaliser against Chelsea.

The game ended 2-1 to the Blues at Stamford Bridge, with the Hammers taking the lead on 62 minutes through Michail Antonio. Substitute Ben Chilwell levelled affairs on 76 minutes before Kai Havertz headed home the winner two minutes from time. However, the real drama came in the 90th minute as Maxwel Cornet had the ball in the back of the Chelsea net.

The ref then chalked off the goal after ruling that Edouard Mendy had been fouled prior to the goal. Mendy claimed he had been fouled by Jarrod Bowen and, after being advised to check the monitor, Madley agreed.

Moyes confronted the official after the final whistle and, speaking to the BBC,  pulled no punches in his assessment of the incident.

“You have seen it, it is a scandalous decision, absolutely rotten from one of the supposedly elite referees,” he said. “It doesn’t say much about whoever sent him over from VAR as well – it is an unbelievable decision against us.

“We feel we got back to 2-2 and it was not down to anything we have done. I support a lot of the VAR stuff, I actually think the goalkeeper dives. He is faking an injury because he cannot get to the next one.

“He did the same on the first goal as well. The referee somehow gets that so wrong it is incredible.”

Moyes refuses to accept defeat

It has been a tough start to 2022-2023 for the East End outfit. Having finished sixth and seventh in the last two campaigns, they currently find themselves near the foot of the standings.

With just one league win in six attempts, it has been frustrating for the fans. The Scottish tactician concedes that his side is a work in progress.

But Moyes was adamant that they should have taken something from the Bridge.

“We are maybe not at our fluid best yet but we are showing a resilience. We are building a new team at the moment and are starting to do the basics well,” he added.

“And we should have got a draw, it might have been a fair result, I don’t think in the end we deserved to lose the game.

“We didn’t lose that one today, we got ourselves back.”

West Ham are next in top-flight action when they welcome Newcastle United to the London Stadium next Sunday.

But before then, Moyes will have to rally his men for their opening Europa Conference League clash against FCSB on Thursday.

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