The Premier League has justified the decision to cancel two goals during Chelsea’s narrow 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in a high-stakes match on Thursday night.
In an official statement released through its social media channels, the Premier League clarified that a shot from Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was disallowed after a thorough VAR review. The reason for this decision was that his teammate, Levi Colwill, had been in an offside position during the build-up play, which ultimately resulted in Caicedo’s effort being ruled out.
This disallowed goal came just moments after Enzo Fernandez had given Chelsea the lead with a well-placed header, putting the Blues ahead early in the match.
The Premier League’s post detailed the process, stating, “VAR checked the referee’s call of goal and established that Colwill was in an offside position in the build-up to the goal. Consequently, they recommended that the goal be disallowed.”
Additionally, Tottenham Hotspur experienced a similar fate when Pape Matar Sarr’s long-range strike was also annulled following another VAR intervention. Although referee Craig Pawson initially awarded the goal in real time, he was subsequently directed to the VAR monitor for further review.
The Premier League explained this situation as well, stating: “VAR checked the referee’s call of goal for Tottenham and determined that there was a foul by Sarr on Caicedo in the build-up. They recommended an on-field review.”
Upon reviewing the incident, referee Pawson overturned his original decision, disallowing the goal. In the aftermath, Sarr received a caution for reckless conduct due to the foul on Caicedo.
