Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FUL-TIME AGONY
Boss Parker furious after Nketiah fires 97th-minute leveller
SCOTT PARKER believes Fulham were victims of VAR as Arsenal scored a heartbreaking 97thminute equaliser. Parker (left) thought his men had secured a vital win in their relegation battle after Josh Maja netted a second-half penalty.
But Eddie Nketiah levelled in injury time, despite Rob Holding standing offside when keeper Alphonse Areola (right) saved from Dani Ceballos.
Referee Craig Pawson awarded the goal after
consultation with VAR official Stuart Atwell, but Parker said: “The difference was the final kick of the game and a decision I didn’t agree with.
“We’ve got the best keeper in the division bar none in terms of controlling his box. He doesn’t know Holding is in an offside position so he has to react to that. If he isn’t there I suspect my keeper comes and collects and brings it into his body.
“I know what will be said, that he didn’t attempt to play the ball. It’s an irrelevance whether he attempted to play the ball when someone is two yards away from the goal. Players are reacting in milliseconds.
“Maybe by the letter of the law it’s the correct decision but I don’t think it is. These are things I don’t understand. It’s something we need to do as coaches. We’ll probably have to coach it, stand players offside.
“I’m absolutely gutted, but as always we wake up tomorrow morning, gloves back on and we go again. We keep fighting.”
Goalscorer Maja (above) said: “It’s a bitter loss. We gave our all to win and in the last minute they score a contentious goal.”