Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards sides with Wrexham on the disallowed Lewis Brunt equaliser in the 114th minute of the FA Cup knockout against Chelsea.
The recent FA Cup clash between Wrexham and Chelsea was one for the books. A six-goal thriller that spanned 120 minutes, the knockout featured multiple twists and turns in a premier showdown between the two sides.
From Wrexham’s perspective, it was a statement performance that garnered praise worldwide. But while the club faithful loved the team’s spirit against World Champions Chelsea, the supporters present at the Racecourse barely left the stadium content.
That’s because of a VAR decision that collapsed Wrexham fans’ ambitions of a deeper Cup run.
When the score stood at 3-2 against Wrexham in the final half of the extra time, substitute Lewis Brunt channelled hopes of a comeback. In the 114th minute, the defender headed in a deflected corner to level the scoreline at 3-3.
On the surface, it felt like a fair goal, and the whole Racecourse erupted in joy to be back in the contest. However, the supporters’ happiness was short-lived as a VAR check ruled out Brunt’s equaliser for offside.
Brunt’s foot lay inches beyond the Chelsea backline before he contributed to the play to head in at the far post. Naturally, this decision has been a key talking point among various fans and pundits following the conclusion of the FA Cup tie.
Following the incident, renowned pundit Micah Richards weighed in on the discussion as well. As quoted by CFC Daily, Micah criticised the VAR call to disallow the goal on Match of the Day, saying: “Inches.. Inches. No one wants to see that be given offside.”
Micah Richards sides with Wrexham on disallowed goal
Interestingly, Micah Richards hasn’t been a well-received figure among Chelsea fans due to his previous criticisms of the club. This latest comment naturally positions him in favour of Wrexham, even though it’s a subject on which most pundits would agree.
That’s because the VAR check showed that Lewis Brunt’s left foot was marginally offside. While the game has seen closer incidents before, the fact that it took two minutes to rule out the goal shows how tight the call was.
This single decision eventually decided the high-stakes Cup knockout. Not only did VAR’s intervention deny Wrexham’s equaliser, but it also handed Chelsea the momentum to score the 4-2 goal and win the clash.
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While there’s no doubt that the VAR call was a correct decision, it felt harsh on Wrexham fans’ morale. Had it been the 3rd round or 4th round FA Cup knockout, the goal would have counted in Wrexham’s favour.
Possibly, it’s for these reasons that Micah Richards wanted the goal to have stood. If it hadn’t been disallowed, the FA Cup could have seen another massive Cupset for Wrexham.
Given the Reds’ penalty shootout win against Nottingham Forest, they might have fancied their chances of beating Chelsea. But all this remains speculation, given that the goal didn’t count.
Wrexham fans have had the worst reception with VAR
Notably, the FA Cup game against Chelsea marked the first time VAR was used in a Wrexham match. With the technology not available in the Championship, the recent Cup knockout was Wrexham fans’ first encounter with it.
However, it was far from a friendly one. The club faithful ended the game completely annoyed because of how two crucial VAR calls directly influenced Wrexham’s defeat.
Firstly, George Dobson’s stoppage-time foul on Garnacho was upgraded to a red card after a VAR review. Though the on-field referee had initially booked Dobson, the overturn meant Wrexham played the rest of the tie with 10 men.
If this incident wasn’t enough, the Lewis Brunt offside goal call had the Racecourse fans fuming. The decision to disallow the 3-3 equaliser was met with chants directed at the VAR technology.
However, the uncomfortable truth is that Wrexham fans need to get accustomed to VAR to facilitate their Premier League dream. Once the Reds get promoted to the PL, the club faithful will see more and more match-defining moments being influenced by VAR.
On the bright side, Wrexham fans have at least a few months to get along with VAR. While it’s been a forgettable first meeting with the technology, it may well work in their favour sometime soon.
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