West Ham had to rally to secure a 2-2 draw with Burnley in a dramatic match at their home ground in east London on Sunday.
During the closing moments of the game, it seemed Burnley’s Berge might have handled the ball in the penalty area, sparking calls for a penalty. West Ham supporters were left feeling hard done by, as awarding a penalty could have potentially swung the match in their favor, offering a chance to clinch all three points at the London Stadium.
Despite the outcry, the decision to not award a penalty was ultimately seen as justified, leaving both teams to share the spoils.
The crux of the matter was whether a penalty should have been awarded. Upon review, VAR determined that a penalty was not warranted because Berge had unintentionally headed the ball onto his own hand while trying to clear it.
The regulations consider an unintentional change in the ball’s trajectory by the same player as a factor against awarding a penalty, a criterion that didn’t apply in Berge’s case. West Ham’s manager, David Moyes, expressed his dissatisfaction, highlighting the unnatural position of Berge’s arm during the play in his post-match comments to Sky Sports.
Moyes’s remarks underscored his frustration, noting the perceived inconsistency in how such rules are applied. This incident marked the second occasion in the same week that West Ham felt aggrieved by a decision not to award them a late penalty.
Previously, in their Europa League match against Freiburg, a possible handball by Noah Weisshaupt underwent a lengthy VAR review, yet no penalty was awarded, and West Ham ended up losing 1-0.
Burnley managed to frustrate West Ham once again, opening the scoreline with an impressive goal by David Datro Fofana. The match’s dynamics shifted with a own goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos, putting Burnley two ahead. However, Lucas Paqueta and Danny Ings rallied for West Ham, ensuring the team salvaged a point from the game.
