Ex-refs chief changes his mind over controversial Fulham vs Man City footage as new angle emerges
Craig Pawson was spot-on after not awarding a late penalty in Fulham’s favour during a nine-goal thriller against Man City.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that it was a foul the other way after seeing a new angle of the incident at Craven Cottage.
Erling Haaland broke a Premier League record to open the scoring, and that was just the first of nine goals on Tuesday, 2 December, with Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden also on the scoresheet.
Emile Smith Rowe‘s first-half goal was almost vital, even after Sander Berge’s goal, after Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze inspired a nearly-comeback, but it was not to be for the Cottagers.
Fulham unfortunate not to equalise vs Man City
In the dying moments, Marco Silva‘s team had multiple chances to equalise, especially as Josko Gvardiol made up for his mistake against Leeds United with a goal-line clearance in added time.
However, a few minutes before that, substitute Jonah Kusi-Asare was brought down in the penalty area by Nico O’Reilly, but referee Pawson quickly waved away any calls for a spot-kick.
O’Reilly has been in fine form for Man City, but the young defender will have had his heart in his mouth, especially as early footage appeared to show a tangle of legs, and he looked guilty.
Calls for a penalty were immediately waved away, and while Hackett originally thought it was the wrong decision, he changed his tune after seeing the reverse angle at Craven Cottage.
Keith Hackett supports Craig Pawson’s decision after studying new footage
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the original footage, the former referee said: “Fulham have every right to feel aggrieved that a penalty kick was not awarded for this careless challenge.
“It should have seen the referee pointing to the penalty mark. So we have to ask why VAR did not intervene on what, for me, is a clear and obvious error.
However, after watching a new angle on the incident, he said: “This confirms that the player in white [Kusi-Asare] has committed an offence by this careless challenge. It is the Fulham player who has committed the offence.”