A controversial and dramatic VAR decision deep into stoppage time denied Chelsea a vital Premier League victory, as Fulham snatched a 1-1 draw in a pulsating West London derby at Craven Cottage.
The Blues, who had taken the lead through a sublime Cole Palmer penalty in first-half stoppage time, thought they had done enough to secure all three points. However, the match was thrown into chaos during the 93rd minute.
Fulham's Calvin Bassey unleashed a powerful shot that was parried by Chelsea keeper Đorđe Petrović. The rebound fell to substitute Rodrigo Muniz, who was in an offside position, but the ball then ricocheted off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill and fell to Fulham's American star, Tim Ream.
Ream calmly slotted the ball home, sparking immediate celebrations from the home fans. But they were quickly silenced by the raised flag of the assistant referee for offside.
What followed was an agonisingly long VAR review, stretching for several minutes as Stockley Park officials meticulously examined the sequence of play. The pivotal question was whether Muniz, in an offside position, had interfered with play or impacted the defenders' ability to react.
After a tense wait, the verdict came: the goal was awarded. The video assistant referee ruled that because the ball had made contact with Chelsea's Colwill, Muniz was no longer in an active phase of play, meaning Ream was deemed onside.
The decision sparked fury and disbelief amongst the Chelsea players and coaching staff, who surrounded the match officials at the final whistle to protest the call. For Fulham, it was a hard-fought and deserved point, rescued in the most dramatic of circumstances, leaving Chelsea to rue two dropped points in their push up the table.
