It speaks volumes when even the West Ham United fans are agreeing with David Moyes’ assessment of that penalty call against Mateus Fernandes during Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Everton.
Moyes felt that the VAR came to an ‘amazing’ conclusion when Nuno Espirito Santo’s Portugal international was adjudged not to have handled inside the penalty area.
Mateus Fernandes slapped the ball out of play when challenging with Everton striker Thierno Barry. Even Nuno admitted that the Hammers bench was ‘worried’ when Stuart Attwell stopped play and consulted Stockley Park.
Did Mateus Fernandes get a lucky escape vs Everton?
Vote below 👇
Much to West Ham United’s eternal relief, it was decided that there was no ‘intent’ from Fernandes; merely the consequence of a ‘grappling motion’.
Yet, at the time of writing and with nearly 1,000 votes polled, 64 per cent of HammersNews’ TalkingPoint readers find themselves taking Moyes’ side.
When the home supporters are agreeing that they got away with one – putting those claret-tinted-glasses aside – that is when the visitors can really consider themselves unfortunate.
Mateus Fernandes and West Ham United got lucky vs Everton
“I don’t think we deserved to lose, that’s for sure,” Moyes told BBC Sport, reeling from the 2-1 Merseyside derby loss against Liverpool six days prior and his mood hardly improved by the controversy at the London Stadium.
“I’m a bit surprised.
“I think the VAR is saying ‘grappling.’ The centre-forward [Barry] wasn’t grappling. The boy marking him [Fernandes] was grappling. He puts two hands around him. It wasn’t as if his hand was there and the ball came up and hit it; he reacted and he punched the ball, so I’m amazed that they’ve not given a penalty kick for it.
“It would have been harsh on them, but I’m amazed. I actually think it was VAR who made the decision. That’s the disappointing thing.”
“When I looked back and saw all the faces on the bench, everybody looked worried!” Nuno would later reveal, metaphorically mopping the sweat from his brow.
“There was the moment that Everton really put us against the ropes.”
Where will West Ham v Brentford be WON and LOST?
Some key battles all over the pitch… ⚒️ 🆚 🐝
Taty Castellanos was also on the wrong end of a VAR mistake
West Ham may consider this justice done, of course.
Had the Video Assistant Referee been able to find a more useful camera angle, the Hammers would surely have been awarded a penalty themselves earlier in proceedings.
Jordan Pickford sent Taty Castellanos flying with the most reckless of lunges. Eerily similar to the incident which ruptured Virgil van Dijk’s ACL in 2020. Fortunately, Castlelanos would avoid such a disastrous fate.
Axel Disasi was also be denied a spot-kick when going down under a two-handed push in the small of the back.
Not that this will improve Moyes’ mood, of course, but they do say ‘what goes around comes around’.
“Win some, lose some,” one TalkingPoint user writes in response to a potentially season-defining stroke of fortune. “VAR is rarely with us so I’ll take it with pleasure.”
“It was a nailed-on penalty, no doubt about it,” another agrees. “But I’ll take any bit of luck we can get.”
“Stonewall penalty all day long, but nice to see a bad decision go our way for a change. COYI.”
“Wow, a decision went our way. We were lucky though.”
“Defo a pen. We have been blessed with a poor VAR decision.”
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
