'How you disallow that is unbelievable' - Why was Fulham goal ruled out?

Fulham manager Marco Silva says he finds it "unbelievable" that Josh King's opening goal for his side was disallowed during their 2-0 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

King, 18, had the ball in the back of net only 22 minutes into the game only for it to be chalked off following a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) intervention for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up.

Chelsea went on to win the game through a Joao Pedro header and an Enzo Fernandez penalty, that came after another contentious VAR decision that went against the visitors and left Silva fuming.

"How you disallow a goal like that is unbelievable," Silva told TNT Sports after the game, which left Fulham winless three rounds into the new Premier League season.

"We have meetings with referee and people in charge, we all want to win. VAR is not here to re-referee the game.

"I would prefer not to say something more because I would be punished. I want to be on the touchline next week to help my team, I don't want to be fined.

"But it has been a difficult start to the season with some decisions."

The derby defeat follows back-to-back draws against Brighton and Manchester United for Silva's side, who finished 11th last season.

King's goal was ruled out after a lengthy review by VAR Michael Salisbury that was confirmed by referee Robert Jones after looking at the pitchside monitor, meaning eight minutes were added on at the end of the first half.

Adding to Fulham's woes, nine minutes into first-half injury time Joao Pedro put Chelsea ahead.

"I would love to explain many things," the Portuguese manager said.

"The first goal - eight minutes extra time. After the first corner it was already nine minutes. It is time to stop the game. That is the rules.

"I asked the referee and he said because we lost time. But I checked the eight minutes. The game didn't stop.

"It's very difficult. I make mistakes, the referee makes mistakes, but when it is black or white, we cannot see something that is not there.

It was the second game running that Fulham have felt hard done by with refereeing decisions.

Silva and defender Calvin Bassey were adamant Manchester United's opener in the 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage last week should have been ruled out for a push by Leny Yoro in the build-up.

Yoro appeared to have two hands in the back of Bassey as he met a United corner, before forcing a Muniz own goal, but VAR Darren England approved the goal after a brief check.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, was adamant the referees made the right decisions in Saturday's game.

"The foul is a foul and the penalty is a penalty," the Italian said.

"For me, it's quite clear. If I had some doubt, I would say. But it's quite clear that the foul is foul and the other one is simple."

Why was King's goal disallowed?

Josh King thought he had scored his first Premier League goal at Stamford Bridge

Silva's frustrations stemmed mainly from the disallowed goal that would have put the Cottagers ahead early in west London.

Teenager King was played through and did well to produce a smart finish to beat goalkeeper Robert Sanchez only for his first Premier League goal to be disallowed.

The Cottagers had won the ball just outside their box and broke forward quickly only for their celebrations to be cut short by referee's contentious decision.

"After review, the Fulham number nine commits a careless challenge, stands on the foot of the Chelsea defender, therefore we disallow the goal," the referee announced, much to the ire of Silva and his players.

Jones was referring to the incident involving Muniz, who was deemed to have stepped on the foot of Chelsea centre-back Chalobah while trying to turn him near the halfway line.

In the Premier League rulebook, a "careless challenge" is deemed to be one with a "lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution".

"The whole point of VAR, and this is my frustration, we've probably said this a thousand times, I'm getting bored of saying it, is 'clear and obvious'," former Aston Villa and Derby County defender Curtis Davies told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We're watching a young lad run away and score a goal and it's getting pulled back for nothing.

"It's honestly ridiculous and you're going to look for a needle in a haystack with every decision."

Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy added: "It's the worst decision I've seen this season. It's a complete lack of understanding of the game.

"Muniz tried to do a lovely bit of skill and as he puts his foot down to balance himself he catches Chalobah. VAR disallowed the goal because they've said it's a careless challenge - but it's not a challenge, it's a pirouette in the middle of the pitch."

"It is a great finish from our young boy," Silva told BBC Match of the Day.

"The referee and VAR decisions, I cannot control. I try to speak as best as I can. Everyone is shocked - in the dressing room, people watching on TV, everyone."

King told TNT Sports after the game: "It's a hard feeling to describe. It was a tough decision. I think it was a perfectly good goal but we just have to pick ourselves up."

Chelsea's second goal also came through a VAR intervention after Ryan Sessegnon was judged to have handled the ball in the penalty area.

Joao Pedro also seemed to have handled the ball just before Sessegnon was hit on his outstretched arm with his back to Chalobah's cross, but the decision went in favour of Chelsea and Fernandez converted to seal the win.

"The penalty is another shocking decision," Silva added.

"Someone at the screen has seen something unbelievable like a stamp [for the disallowed goal]. But the same people did not see a foul on King and handball by Joao Pedro, and a stamp on Alex Iwobi.

"The same four eyes that saw something unbelievable in the first half didn't see the same for us in the second half."

'Former players should be part of VAR'

With VAR once again causing controversy, ex-England international Stephen Warnock has called for former players to be part of the VAR team.

"VAR is having a tough time already this season," Warnock told BBC Final Score.

"We are in a situation where people are getting fed up with the forensics of it.

"There was the decision against Bassey versus United last week and this week we've got the Muniz challenge. It's a football movement, a natural football movement, and they find a foul within it."

Joe Cole, speaking on TNT Sports, added: "It is an absolutely disgraceful performance from VAR. We have to remember that when we watch football it means so much to many people and VAR feels sanitised and clinical - it doesn't work. Let's be honest.

"When you have a decision like [the disallowed Fulham goal] and it is so subjective and nuanced and you are stopping the game for four minutes, then you have one man that has to go over to a screen and make a decision - it just doesn't work."

Warnock welcomed the idea of having former players involved with the VAR, saying referees "do not necessarily see the intricacies of the game".

"We know the game, we love the game and we want to see it played in the right way and see the right outcome for every decision made," Warnock said.

"We have done this for a 10-15 year period and we know the intricacies of the movements of football and how they try to manipulate things.

"We know when a player is trying to cut across someone and that little nudge or whatever might happen. When you are doing that on a day-to-day basis you see things differently. The referees don't necessarily see that."

What did the fans have to say?

Steve, Newport Pagnell: Anyone that has played football at any half-decent level knows that this isn't a foul. Where else can the striker put his foot? It's a complete accident. As for VAR, it's meant to stop mistakes, not add to them and re-referee the game. A complete shambles and VAR continues to ruin the PL as a spectacle. These referees have never played football at any level, so they will never understand.

Michael: It's not getting any better, referees do not understand the game, why stick another referee behind VAR? Get some ex-players involved.

Neil: Why do the referees have to side with VAR all the time? Surely the ref can look at that and say that is not a foul. It's like they are too scared to stand up to what they see on the pitch in real time.

Michael, Reading: As a lower league fan, I'm so glad VAR is only top flight. I'd be interested to see a survey of match going premier league fans, to see their views of what it's done to their enjoyment of the game.