CHELSEA fans are STILL fuming with Romelu Lukaku’s disallowed goal in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final loss against Liverpool.
The Blues saw three goals in 120 minutes of football chalked off for offside.
Lukaku’s sleeve played him offside with the majority of his body onside
The striker kept his cool and powered home his shot
But Lukaku’s goal was ruled out after VAR intervened
But Lukaku‘s strike in the first half of extra-time still has fans riled up with VAR’s lines being labelled ‘nonsense.’
The out of form striker got free of Ibrahima Konate and fired low past Liverpool‘s Cup keeper Caoimhin Kelleher only for the linesman to put his flag up.
A replay showed just how tight the call was, with the majority of Lukaku’s body being behind the last defender.
But the sleeve on Lukaku’s shirt made the difference in the decision and the goal was chalked off for offside.
One fan fumed: “Ridiculous! These lines are nonsense. Prior to VAR that would have been onside.
“It was introduced to eradicate clear and obvious errors, and this is not clear and obvious.
“It’s being over utilised for decisions it doesn’t need to be involved with. Allow officials to do their job!”
Another added: “Ridiculous, decisions like this are not the reason VAR should be disallowing goals.
Others are suggesting strikers should be given the advantage on tight calls like Lukaku’s.
One fan suggested: “When it’s that close it should simply be ON.
“You can’t mathematically determine the exact time the pass is struck to coincide with the lines drawn for the cm/mm’s being used to gauge offside.”
“We’re not looking to disallow goals for millimetres, it’s meant to be for clear and obvious errors. This ain’t.”
Thomas Tuchel’s men went on to lose the nail biting penalty shootout 11-10 with keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga blazing his effort over the crossbar, denying the Blues of a third trophy in just over a year.
The German’s decision to sub off one of the best keepers in the world in Edouard Mendy for the penalty shootout has come under fierce criticism from fans and pundits.
And Tuchel has taken full responsibility for his big call.
He said: “I take the decisions when I take the decisions and I can’t re-judge them when I know the outcome.
“We don’t know what would’ve happened if we left Edou on the pitch. No blame on Kepa, the blame is on me as I’m the guy who takes the decisions.
“Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. This is life as a football coach.
“The players know and we did it before. It’s a nice subject now for you to make headlines but mistakes happen.
“I do mistakes, Edou did a big mistake and almost got punished. It makes it easier if we have a big feeling, but blame me as I take the decisions.”
