Why VAR Cancelled Eberechi Eze’s Goal Against Chelsea

Details have emerged on why Eberechi Eze’s stunning free-kick goal for Crystal Palace against Chelsea was ruled out after a VAR review.

Eze thought he had put Palace ahead when he curled a free-kick past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. But the joy was short-lived as VAR intervened.

According to the Premier League Match Centre, referee Darren England was advised to overturn the goal after replays showed that Palace defender Marc Guehi had committed an infringement in the build-up. Guehi was deemed to have shoved Moises Caicedo as the free-kick was being taken, while also standing less than one metre from Chelsea’s wall — an infringement that automatically nullified the effort.

The referee’s announcement explained:
“After review, away number six is less than one metre away from the wall as the shot is taken. Therefore, it’s an indirect free-kick and a disallowed goal.”

Opinion:
While rules are rules, this particular decision will once again fuel debates about VAR’s influence on the beauty of football. For neutrals, Eze’s strike was the kind of moment that gives fans goosebumps — a piece of artistry capable of defining a game. Yet, technicalities buried deep within the rulebook robbed both Palace and Eze of that glory.

Of course, one could argue that Guehi’s positioning gave Palace an unfair advantage, and VAR’s job is to ensure fairness. But here lies the tension: football is not a game of laboratory precision, it is a sport built on emotion, chaos, and moments of magic. When technology clamps down too harshly, fans are left wondering if the spirit of the game is being suffocated by microscopic regulations.

For Palace, it’s heartbreak. For Eze, it’s a cruel reminder that even brilliance can be erased in an instant. And for the rest of us, it’s another example of how VAR continues to divide the game it was meant to perfect.