VAR causes controversy when it 'helps' Crystal Palace win the FA Cup

Henderson used his hand to push the ball away before Haaland could handle it - Photo: REUTERS

Handball outside the penalty area but no red card

In the first half, Dean Henderson came out and used his hand to block the ball when he saw Erling Haaland rushing down very quickly.

VAR immediately stepped in to consider Henderson's possible handball outside the box, which could also see him penalised for denying Haaland a clear scoring opportunity.

Slow motion camera angle shows the incident taking place outside the penalty area - Screenshot

In the end, Henderson "escaped the blame" when the VAR referees did not catch a foul, even though slow-motion images showed that his hand was completely outside the penalty area.

According to the analysis of the Telegraph (UK), the decision of the main referee Stuart Atwell and the VAR team was correct. Accordingly, they said that even if Haaland had passed Henderson, the ball would have gone far away from the goal, so this was not a clear goal-scoring situation.

Therefore, the Crystal Palace goalkeeper did not receive a red card.

But the point here is that Henderson should have received at least a yellow card, and Man City were awarded a direct free kick. However, no such decision was made.

Must have red card

Many football experts disagree with the referee's handling of this situation.

Speaking on the BBC, former player Wayne Rooney affirmed that the Crystal Palace goalkeeper should have been sent off and called for the removal of VAR technology because he made a serious mistake.

"It's a red card, 100% red card. Haaland is about to dribble past him and he blocks the ball with his hand. How can they get that wrong? Get rid of VAR!", Rooney expressed his doubts about VAR.

Henderson celebrates Crystal Palace's first FA Cup title in history - Photo: REUTERS

Former Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright also branded the decision "mad" on ITV, saying: "How they can say it wasn't a goal-scoring opportunity is mad. He would have gone past the goalkeeper and put the ball in the net."

Former Man City defender Joelon Lescott shared: "If Henderson hadn't touched the ball, Haaland would have reached the ball and finished into an empty net with his right foot. It was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen in football."

After avoiding being sent off, Dean Henderson became the hero for Crystal Palace when he successfully saved Omar Marmoush's penalty.

Eberechi Eze's only previous strike helped Crystal Palace beat Man City 1-0, bringing home the first major trophy in the club's 119-year history.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/var-gay-tranh-cai-khi-giup-crystal-palace-vo-dich-fa-cup-20250518084030151.htm