Referee disallows Eze's free-kick goal against Chelsea due to little-known rule
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
On Sunday, August 17, in the opening round of the English Premier League, Chelsea hosted Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. The first half ended goalless, but not without a major controversy.
In the 13th minute, Eberechi Eze unleashed a powerful and precise free-kick to put Palace ahead, but after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed. The officials focused on an incident involving Palace captain Marc Guehi and Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The incident initially seemed contentious, with many suspecting a potential foul by Guehi, but the Premier League soon issued an official explanation regarding the disallowed goal.
The statement explained that the Crystal Palace captain was less than one metre away from the opposition wall at the moment Eze struck the ball. This was the reason for the goal’s cancellation—according to the rules, such an infringement results in an indirect free kick for the defending team.
