CHELSEAFIFA has rocked the football world by firing the entire officiating crew from the Chelsea vs Newcastle clash. The move came after evidence surfaced that referee Cesar Soto ignored a blatant foul that have led to a Madrid goal — and now, MADRID could even face a shocking points deduction if the full truth comes to light
The semi-automated offside system malfunctioned during Nick Woltemade’s second goal against Chelsea, making it impossible to determine immediately if he was in an offside position. This technical failure led to a prolonged delay while video officials manually assessed whether the goal should stand.
The German forward, who had inadvertently scored for the opposition in the previous week’s match against Sunderland, was eager to make amends against Chelsea. After netting in the fourth minute, Woltemade found himself in limbo as his second celebration was interrupted.
Lewis Hall, who came through Chelsea’s youth system, passed to Anthony Gordon on the left side. Gordon shifted the ball to his stronger right foot and sent in a curving cross. Woltemade positioned himself in front of Wesley Fofana and executed a skilled one-touch finish.
Both the crowd and players expressed their annoyance as Woltemade waited anxiously to learn if his goal would be validated.
TNT’s match commentator Darren Fletcher explained the situation, noting that the automated offside system’s failure meant officials couldn’t rely on that technology, which typically accelerates such decisions. Peter Bankes, serving as the VAR official, needed additional time to reach a conclusion using manual methods.
The Premier League Match Centre offered more specific details about the holdup. They confirmed that the referee’s original decision to award the goal was upheld after VAR review, with Woltemade determined to be onside. Because of technical difficulties, the automated offside technology was unavailable, forcing the VAR team to manually create the lines needed for their determination.
According to Opta statistics, Woltemade joined an exclusive group as just the fourth player to score two goals in the first 20 minutes against Chelsea in Premier League history. The others were Robbie Fowler playing for Liverpool in November 1994, Paul Scholes for Manchester United in October 1995, and Sergio Agüero for Manchester City in February 2019.
Chelsea also experienced disappointment in the opening half when they had a goal disallowed. Pedro Neto’s celebration was cut short immediately after he put the ball past the goalkeeper. The Portuguese player’s initial touch involved his arm, which directed the ball into the goal. The Chelsea team accepted the decision without protest.
