‘I have suspicions’ – PGMOL expert drops incendiary verdict after analysing West Ham vs Burnley controversies
West Ham’s 3-2 win over Burnley has raised serious questions over the accuracy of semi-automated offside technology.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the Premier League’s system is far less consistent than the one used across Europe.
Freddie Potts was West Ham’s brightest spark once again, with Tomas Soucek coming off the bench to inspire a rare victory at the London Stadium on Saturday, 8 November.
Zian Flemming had opened the scoring for the Clarets before Callum Wilson netted the equaliser, and with Kyle Walker-Peters adding a third, Josh Cullen‘s 97th-minute strike was only a consolation.
Zian Flemming and Callum Wilson goals cause controversy
Both teams’ opening goals were checked at length by VAR, causing frustration for each set of supporters, who were waiting anxiously to learn the outcome after hitting the back of the net.
For those watching back at home, supporters will have seen very unclear images of the offside decisions being checked, with semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) in use at the London Stadium.
There were also questions raised after fans thought Alphonse Areola had both hands on the ball as Cullen bundled home in added time, but it turned out not to be a significant moment in the Hammers’ victory.
However, despite the game finishing on Saturday, there remain concerns over the use of SAOT in the Premier League, with Hackett even labelling the technology “flawed” compared to what we witness elsewhere.
PGMOL have questions to answer over semi-automated offside
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the technology, the former referee said: “There are times that I’m thinking, ‘Is the semi-automated offside technology working?’ I think the system is flawed compared to what is used in Europe.
“The reason behind that is that the European balls have a chip. That system is able to absorb a touch on the ball, which is when a photograph is taken.
“I have suspicions about the delivery of offside decisions by the semi-automated system. It is a lower level of quality compared to that in Europe.”