Jamie Redknapp fumes as VAR 'cannot intervene' after Eze goal controversially ruled out

Jamie Redknapp was left furious after Eberechi Eze had a goal controversially ruled out for Crystal Palace against Brentford on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles winger found the top corner with a brilliant free kick in the first half but it was disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

It looked as though Eze was shaping up to swing a cross into the area but he went for goal and found the back of the net with a sumptuous strike from range. However, referee Samuel Barrot blew his whistle before the ball went in after spotting a dubious foul on the edge of the box.

Palace midfielder Will Hughes was deemed to have hauled Brentford defender Nathan Collins to the ground, but replays suggested that it was a soft call to say the least. It later emerged that VAR was unable to intervene because the whistle had been blown before the ball had entered the goal.

Redknapp was on punditry duties for Sky Sports and did not mince his words in a damning assessment of the referee's decision to blow up for a foul on Collins.

He said: "The referee's had a nightmare. He really has, it's a monumental mistake. He just should let it breathe, I'm not even sure it's a foul first and foremost and I feel so sorry for Eze. It's genius what he does here, the referee is just getting too involved. Stay out of it.

"Let the game breathe. It's a brilliant piece of play and he could have blown up after he wanted to, but to do it so quickly, I really feel so sorry for Eze. The ball is going into the goal. He [Hughes] is not even interfering with play."

Fellow pundit Micah Richards agreed with Redknapp, adding: "But Collins has got hold of him! It's not even a foul. He [the referee] has had a stinker."

The controversial decision was quickly explained by the Premier League, who posted a message on the new Premier League Match Centre account on X, formerly Twitter, just minutes after the incident had taken place.

It read: "The referee awards a free kick to Brentford for a foul by Hughes on Collins. The whistle was blown before the ball had entered the goal, so VAR cannot intervene and the referee's call stands."

Brentford went on to open the scoring three minutes later with Bryan Mbeumo jinking into the box and firing a left-footed shot into the far corner. It left many Palace supporters feeling hard done by, given the controversial nature of Eze's goal being ruled out just moments earlier.