Phew! Thank you Spurs & Everton too!

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Two 1-0 losses for Fulham & WBA keeps a bit of breathing space for us a while longer.

[kritichris]

Yup, I said as much on the day's other games. I've just read the match report on Fulham and it seems they were robbed, should have been a draw at least.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Yup, I said as much on the day's other games. I've just read the match report on Fulham and it seems they were robbed, should have been a draw at least.

Yup, but $hit happens!

[Supersub6]

Yup, I said as much on the day's other games. I've just read the match report on Fulham and it seems they were robbed, should have been a draw at least.

Not robbed, goal disallowed because a clearance hit the arm of a Fulham player, rebounded to another who scored. Interpretation this year is that if the ball hits the hand in the build up to a goal then the goal is disallowed. Tough because the arm was down by his side, however, if it had hit his side it may not have rebounded as it did.
Fulham should be thinking that they had 59% possession but did not score and that is why they lost.

Over the season they have had 14 matches where they have had more possession than their opponents. They have won 1, drawn 7 and lost 6, scoring 9 and conceding 17 whilst picking up 10 points.
They have had equal possession in 2 matches, winning 1 and losing 1, scoring 5 and conceding 4 and picking up 3 points.
In their other 11 matches they have had less possession, won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5, scoring 7 and conceding 12 and picked up 10 points.

They have failed to score in 13 games, interesting because we have failed to score in 15 but still have 6 points more then them.

[kritichris]

Can't argue with those stats SS. I can always remember years ago in our Prem renaissance we had something like around 20+% possession and beat Liverpool 2-0. It confounded the pundits and klopp who felt like he'd been mugged, we set a trend that day, possession is not everything.

[sinkov]

Not robbed, goal disallowed because a clearance hit the arm of a Fulham player, rebounded to another who scored. Interpretation this year is that if the ball hits the hand in the build up to a goal then the goal is disallowed. Tough because the arm was down by his side, however, if it had hit his side it may not have rebounded as it did.
Fulham should be thinking that they had 59% possession but did not score and that is why they lost.

Over the season they have had 14 matches where they have had more possession than their opponents. They have won 1, drawn 7 and lost 6, scoring 9 and conceding 17 whilst picking up 10 points.
They have had equal possession in 2 matches, winning 1 and losing 1, scoring 5 and conceding 4 and picking up 3 points.
In their other 11 matches they have had less possession, won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5, scoring 7 and conceding 12 and picked up 10 points.

They have failed to score in 13 games, interesting because we have failed to score in 15 but still have 6 points more then them.

I haven't seen the 'handball' but as you describe it Sub, 'a clearance hit the arm of a Fulham player', there was no intent by the Fulham player, it was an incidental/accidental contact, and under the Laws as originally formulated, no offence occurred. Fulham were robbed by the clowns who have tinkered with the handball laws to put us in the ludicrous situation we are now. No doubt the decision was technically correct, but every time a player is penalised for something happening over which he has no control, he has been robbed, robbed by some committee of idiots sat in shiny suits making it up as they go along.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I haven't seen the 'handball' but as you describe it Sub, 'a clearance hit the arm of a Fulham player', there was no intent by the Fulham player, it was an incidental/accidental contact, and under the Laws as originally formulated, no offence occurred. Fulham were robbed by the clowns who have tinkered with the handball laws to put us in the ludicrous situation we are now. No doubt the decision was technically correct, but every time a player is penalised for something happening over which he has no control, he has been robbed, robbed by some committee of idiots sat in shiny suits making it up as they go along.

I have seen about six such incidents this week. Two obvious handballs not given against Chelsea, two marginally onside goals rubbed off, two howlers at Anfield last night.

Really, what is the point of VAR?

[Supersub6]

I have seen about six such incidents this week. Two obvious handballs not given against Chelsea, two marginally onside goals rubbed off, two howlers at Anfield last night.

Really, what is the point of VAR?

The point of VAR is that it is what FIFA, driven by the media, wanted and they introduced it to make the game better and to ensure that decisions are 100% correct.

I was against it right from the start and I am still convinced that Croatia would have been World Champions had VAR not intervened to give France a ridiculous penalty, strangely enough, for handball.
Anyway realx fellas because today IFAB, the ones who change the Laws and their interpretation under the guidance of David Elleray, are meeting to discuss how to make the game less enjoyable for the real fans but more acceptable to the 'woke' brigade ---whoever thay may be.