Gary Lineker was left fuming after a controversial VAR decision went against Leicester City in their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday, September 14.
The Foxes had surged into a commanding 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi, only for the result to slip away as the game unravelled in the second half.
Leicester appeared to be cruising to an important away win at Selhurst Park, but their hard work was undone in the 46th minute when Jean-Philippe Mateta clawed Palace back into the match.
Initially flagged for offside, Mateta’s goal was eventually allowed to stand following a lengthy VAR check, much to the dismay of Leicester players and fans alike.
The contentious decision was a bitter blow for Leicester, who had been in control for much of the game. To make matters worse, Mateta struck again deep into stoppage time, converting a penalty after Conor Coady’s clumsy challenge in the box.
The late equaliser condemned Leicester to a second successive draw, prolonging their winless start to the season.
Lineker, a lifelong Leicester fan, shared his frustrations on The Rest Is Football podcast alongside fellow pundits Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. Reflecting on the match, he said:
“I was a bit heartbroken yesterday with Leicester. Played really well in the first half—played some good football. Got 2-0 up just after half-time, then they had a goal that was originally ruled out for offside and then VAR decided it wasn’t. I don’t know how they did that, but anyway.”
The former England striker admitted he had sensed the equaliser was coming as soon as Palace were awarded the penalty.
“Then you just kind of thought, ‘Oh they’re going to equalise,’ and of course they did, and Conor Coady… he’ll know himself that he just got caught out.”
Micah Richards empathised with Coady’s mistake, describing the defender’s reaction as one of resigned acceptance.
“Did you see him with his head in his hands, like, ‘Oh, I’ve fallen for it’? You know you’ve made it and you’re just hoping and praying for it to be offside, or the player’s dived, or something. But he just knew.”
Shearer, ever the joker, couldn’t resist poking fun at Lineker’s anger during the VAR check for Mateta’s first goal.
“Micah, you should have heard him raging yesterday when the lines were being drawn across for that offside to make it 2-1. There was steam coming out of those massive f***ing ears—you should have seen it. He was getting so angry, so animated.”
Laughing off the jibe, Lineker responded: “Suspect, man, suspect.” He went on to lament the inconsistencies in the current VAR system: “The angle that they had as well, it was so unclear, and when you looked at it you just went, ‘Well, he’s offside, he’s definitely offside.’”
Leicester are still searching for their first win of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign. After drawing 1-1 with Tottenham in their opener, they suffered defeats to Fulham and Aston Villa. With four games now behind them, Steve Cooper’s men will be hoping for better luck in their next outing as they look to kickstart their season.