REVEALED: Reason West Ham were denied clear penalty vs Chelsea after Fofana foul surfaces

2 months ago 5

Wesley Fofana was lucky after he avoided conceding a penalty during Chelsea's game against West Ham on Saturday
The French defender grabbed Crysencio Summerville's arm, who fell in the area, but nothing was given
The incident came at a time when West Ham were struggling to wrestle back control after Nicolas Jackson's brace

Chelsea ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over West Ham United during the London derby in Saturday's lunchtime kickoff.

A brace from Nicolas Jackson and a fiery strike from Cole Palmer did the job for the Blues as they ascended into second place (momentarily) on the table.

Nicolas Jackson, West Ham United vs Chelsea, Wesley Fofana, Crysencio Summerville

It was a subdued performance from West Ham, who struggled to carve out clear-cut chances despite having the ball for most periods. The loss is Julen Lopetegui's third of the season, with pressure now ramping up on the Spaniard to produce results after a splendid transfer window.

Lopetegui's side will, however, feel hard done after they were denied what they thought was a clear penalty.

Wesley Fofana's non-penalty incident

After going 2-0 down, Wesley Fofana appeared to grab Crysencio Summerville inside the area. Replays show that the French defender held the forward's arm as he went down inside the penalty area.

Referee Sam Barrott declined to give a penalty with the VAR rubberstamping the decision, calling the contact 'fleeting.'

Why West Ham were denied penalty vs Chelsea

The Premier League further explained the decision via its new account on X.

"The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Fofana on Summerville is checked and confirmed by VAR - deeming that this was not sustained holding."

Did Wesley Fofana get injured vs West Ham

Fofana was later booked after another challenge on Summerville before he was replaced by Axel Disasi. He was later spotted with heavy strapping after the game, but Enzo Maresca quickly allayed fears of another injury.

"No, no, no. The reason why we changed him is that we try to protect him a little bit," he told Metro UK.

Chelsea next face Barrow in the Carabao Cup before playing Brighton in their next Premier League fixture.