In Chelsea’s decisive 6-2 victory over Wolves, Cole Palmer scored an incredible goal, but video evidence suggests it shouldn’t have stood.
The England international gave the Blues a 2-1 lead after capping a fast counterattack with a lovely clipped finish over Jose Sa from 30 yards out.
On the other hand, the authorities ought to have technically disallowed his goal at Molineux in the 45th minute.
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez set up Chelsea’s assault moments before Palmer scored by finding Nicolas Jackson with a long pass from a goal-kick.
Jackson flicked the ball inside to Palmer who coolly lobbed Sa after catching him well off his line.
But slow motion replays shared with viewers on beIN SPORTS showed the ball was actually moving when Sanchez pinged it forward.
‘It’s rolling,’ said host Richard Keys during the analysis. ‘Strictly speaking it should be disallowed.’
"It's rolling. Strictly speaking it should be disallowed." – @richardajkeys
The ball was rolling when Robert Sanchez took the goal kick for Chelsea''s second goal!#beINPL #WWFC #CFC pic.twitter.com/xEfnMJk0WZ
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) August 25, 2024
The rules state that the ball has to be completely still before a restart – and players are often ordered to retake a kick for a ‘moving ball’.
On this occasion, though, the rule break went completely unnoticed by referee Darren England in real time.
And another little-known quirk meant video assistant referee John Brooks was also unable to intervene.
It’s not within VAR protocol to check for restarts during a passage of play leading up to a goal.
VAR officials at Stockley Park could only check for an offside in relation to Palmer’s goal and both he and Jackson were clearly onside, meaning it couldn’t be ruled out.
Jackson had given the visitors an early lead but they were pegged back by Matheus Cunha’s crisp finish in the 27th minute before Palmer’s controversial wonder goal.
Jorgen Strand Larsen brought the hosts level once again on the stroke of half-time but Enzo Maresca’s side dismantled Wolves in the second period.
Noni Madueke scored a 14-minute hat-trick before Joao Felix rounded off a resounding victory in the 80th minute upon his return to Chelsea after he was teed up by former Wolves winger Pedro Neto.