LONDON: Willian’s 94th-minute spot kick, his second of the game, earned Fulham a dramatic 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Monday after a penalty-fuelled second half Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said had turned him against VAR.

Alex Iwobi gave Fulham the lead after seven minutes with a delicate finish, turning Antonee Robinson’s cut-back through Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa’s legs from close range.

The visitors drew level on 22 minutes after brilliant play by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who beat Robinson twice down the right before finding Matheus Cunha unmarked to nod home.

Fulham regained the lead on 59 minutes through Willian’s first penalty after a Nelson Semedo challenge on Tom Cairney was adjudged to be a foul, though there was minimal contact.

Hwang Hee-chan was then bundled over by Fulham captain Tim Ream on the edge of the box and levelled again from the spot on 75 minutes for his seventh league goal of the season.

But Joao Gomes’ clumsy challenge on substitute Harry Wilson was given as a penalty by VAR late on, with Willian sending Sa the wrong way and Craven Cottage into raptures.

The win, the hosts’ first in five league games, moved Fulham up to 14th in the standings on 15 points. Wolves remained 12th on the same number of points.

Wolves have been on the wrong side of VAR a number of times already this season and Wolves boss O’Neil said Monday’s game may have “finally turned me against VAR”.

“We should be able to talk about the game and not decisions but unfortunately we can’t.” O’Neil said: “I have always been for VAR but I think it is causing problems at the moment. I think VAR has cost us there…. The fact that we have conceded two, for me VAR is not helping with subjective decisions. Maybe tonight has finally turned me against VAR.”

He told Sky Sports he had spoken to referee Michael Salisbury after the game and the official had admitted he should have been sent to the VAR monitor over Fulham’s first penalty.

O’Neil also told reporters he was of the opinion that Ream should have received a second yellow after giving away a penalty and Fulham’s Carlos Vinicius should have been sent off for a headbutt on Max Kilman.

“You can argue that two of them could go against us but all four go against us. It’s a tough one for the lads, supporters and myself to take. We’ve been here a lot this season. We didn’t deserve that,” O’Neil said.

Fulham boss Marco Silva told Sky Sports he believed the third and deciding spot kick was “a clear penalty”, though he added “the first for us and the one for them were a little more soft.”

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023