Marco Silva Slams "Unbelievable" Decision-Making After Fulham's Defeat to Chelsea
Fulham manager Marco Silva has expressed his frustration over what he described as "unbelievable" decision-making by the officials following his side's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The result left Fulham still searching for their first win of the Premier League season, and Silva was left questioning multiple contentious calls throughout the match.
The Controversial Disallowed Goal
The drama began in the first half when Fulham thought they had taken the lead. Josh King, racing through on goal, finished with confidence to net what would have been his first Premier League goal. However, after a VAR review, referee Rob Jones ruled that Rodrigo Muniz had committed a foul earlier in the move, leading to the goal being disallowed. Silva, speaking to TNT Sports after the match, described this decision as "unbelievable."
"For me, it's unbelievable, really," Silva said. "You can talk about many things, but I would prefer not to say more because I will be punished. I want to be on the bench for the next game, not paying fines. But it's been difficult for us with so many decisions that haven't gone our way this season."
“I don’t want to say anymore because I’ll be punished.”
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 30, 2025
Marco Silva’s post-match reaction following VAR controversy at Stamford Bridge 😬
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First Half Stoppage Time Drama
As if the disallowed goal wasn’t enough to spark frustration, Chelsea went ahead in stoppage time, with Joao Pedro heading home in the ninth minute of added time. The official minimum eight minutes on the clock had already passed, and Silva was left perplexed by the referee’s decision to allow such a lengthy delay.
"I asked the referee about the stoppage time," Silva said. "He told me it was because 'we lost time, I was speaking with a player.' But I checked the eight minutes, and the game didn’t stop for a single second. It's by the rules; the referee has to stop the game."
Silva then voiced his disbelief about how the extra time was calculated and questioned why the game had continued well beyond the standard stoppage time. "After the first corner, it was already nine minutes. The game didn't stop once. I don't understand how this happened."
Penalty Controversy
Things worsened for Fulham early in the second half. Ryan Sessegnon was penalized for handball in the box, with the decision confirmed after a VAR check. Chelsea were awarded a penalty, which Enzo Fernandez converted to double their lead. However, Silva was once again incensed by the decision, as some felt Joao Pedro should have been penalized for handball in the build-up to Sessegnon’s offence.
"It’s unbelievable," Silva reiterated. "I make mistakes, the referee can make mistakes, but when it’s black or white, it has to be black or white. We cannot see something that wasn’t there."
“We would be better off getting rid of VAR.”
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 30, 2025
Joe Cole doesn’t hold back following an afternoon of drama at Stamford Bridge 😳
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Frustration Boils Over After Consecutive VAR Disappointments
This was not the first time Silva had been left frustrated by a VAR decision. Last week, Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United saw Silva question why no VAR intervention was made to disallow United’s opening goal for a possible foul. This pattern of contentious decisions has begun to weigh heavily on the Portuguese manager, who is now growing increasingly concerned with the consistency of VAR's application in Premier League matches.
Silva’s comments reflect a broader sense of frustration felt by many managers in the league regarding officiating inconsistencies. In a league as competitive as the Premier League, moments like these can prove to be the difference between success and failure, and Silva is clearly fed up with decisions going against his side.
Looking Ahead
Despite the heavy losses and the refereeing controversy, Silva remains focused on moving forward with his squad. "Chelsea won the game, and we move on," Silva said. “I’m the manager, I try to do my best with my players and my football club."
Fulham will now look to bounce back from another tough defeat and address the issues both on and off the pitch. Silva’s frustration is understandable; with the season still in its early stages, the Cottagers will be hoping for more consistent performances from both their players and the officials in the weeks ahead.
As the debate over VAR continues to dominate Premier League discourse, Silva's comments serve as a reminder of how fine the margins are between success and frustration at the highest level of English football.
