Wolves manager Gary O’Neil was left seething on the touchline after VAR denied his side a crucial penalty during their 2-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium on Monday night.
Desperate for a win to lift themselves off 19th in the Premier League, Wolves battled hard but found themselves undone by controversial officiating decisions and clinical finishing from the Hammers.
West Ham took the lead when Tomas Soucek capitalised on poor marking to head in from a corner. Wolves, however, believed they should have been awarded a penalty shortly after when Emerson Palmieri bundled Goncalo Guedes to the ground.
Referee Simon Hooper waved play on, and VAR upheld the decision. The Premier League match centre later explained: “The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Emerson on Guedes was checked and confirmed by VAR, deeming that the contact was outside the box.”
Wolves responded positively, equalising through Matt Doherty’s precise half-volley. But their joy was short-lived as Jarrod Bowen struck a low drive past Jose Sa to restore West Ham’s lead.
The frustration for O’Neil didn’t end there. Late in the match, Konstantinos Mavropanos appeared to tread on Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s foot in the penalty area during a sequence that led to Tommy Doyle firing over the bar. Once again, VAR declined to intervene.
Sky Sports co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe criticised the incident, saying: “It was a completely unnecessary challenge from Konstantinos Mavropanos. He’s so lucky to get away with it.”
The Premier League match centre defended the decision: “The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Mavropanos on Bellegarde was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed the referee’s call was not clear and obviously wrong.”
Adding to Wolves’ woes, Mohammed Kudus had two second-half goals correctly ruled out for offside, but West Ham held firm for the win.
Tempers flared at full-time as Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina clashed with Bowen during the post-match handshakes, earning himself a yellow card as players from both sides had to be separated.
For O’Neil, the result leaves Wolves entrenched in the relegation zone and the manager under mounting pressure to turn the tide in what is becoming a bleak season.
