Potter: I have to hand it to Tomas

GRAHAM POTTER congratulated West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek on a marvellous save, with Chelsea’s manager saying his team were denied a clear penalty late in yesterday’s draw.

Conor Gallagher’s shot struck the hand of Soucek, who was sliding to block the ball at the time. Neither referee Craig Pawson nor VAR Neil Swarbrick awarded the spot-kick.

It meant Chelsea, who have now drawn their last three Premier League games, would not be gifted the chance to win at West Ham and Potter sarcastically said: ‘It was a good save. You need your goalkeeper sometimes to give you the points.

‘It looks like one of those that, if it was given, it wouldn’t have been overturned. But obviously it wasn’t given. It looked quite a handball and, like I said, I didn’t know Tomas could get down so easily and save like that. It’s a good stop from him.

‘It’s not for me to say about VAR. Will you get more consistency? Well, you won’t because they are human beings. Every single decision and action you won’t get the same one again so it’s very hard to get consistency.’

In response, West Ham manager David Moyes said: ‘We had a huge decision that went against us at Stamford Bridge, so don’t forget that!’ That was in reference to West Ham’s late equaliser in September which was wrongly disallowed for a foul by Jarrod Bowen on Edouard Mendy.

● JACK LESLIE, the first black player to be called up by England, has been posthumously inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the London Stadium.

East London-born Leslie, who spent most of his career with Plymouth, was selected for England’s Home Nations Championship international with Ireland in 1925, only for the invitation to be withdrawn because of the colour of his skin. He was never picked again. He died in 1988, aged 87.

West Ham great Sir Trevor Brooking said: ‘Jack was a lovely man who would do anything for you, and I am delighted to see him honoured with this special induction into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. I’m sure he would be very proud.’