Eberechi Eze's spectacular free-kick goal was ruled out in Crystal Palace's Premier League opener against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge following a VAR review. The powerful strike beat Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but the goal was disallowed due to a rule violation by Palace captain Marc Guehi.
Eze blasted the free-kick through the wall from the edge of the box with sheer power. Sanchez had left a gap in the wall to ensure he could see Eze make contact with the ball, but his view was obstructed when Guehi pushed Moises Caicedo out of position while standing too close to Chelsea's defensive wall.
VAR Review Process
Referee Darren England was sent to the pitch-side monitor by the VAR official to review the incident. After examining the footage, England announced his decision to the Stamford Bridge crowd.
"After review, away number six [Guehi] is less than one metre away from the wall as the shot is taken," England told the crowd. "Therefore, it's an indirect free kick and a disallowed goal."
Rule Application
The laws of the game state that where three or more defending team players form a wall, all attacking team players must remain at least one metre from the wall until the ball is in play. Guehi had committed the offence by positioning himself within the prohibited distance when the free-kick was taken.
Metro reports that Eze was a doubt for the match due to Tottenham transfer speculation. According to the Mirror, Chelsea's set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva immediately protested the goal, and the incident was part of a busy VAR weekend in the Premier League's opening round.
Sources used: "PA Media", "Independent", "Metro", "Mirror", "Daily Star"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
