Chelsea handed new Eberechi Eze referee verdict after Crystal Palace disallowed goal

Former Premier League referee Chris Foy has praised the match officials who ruled out Eberechi Eze's free-kick with the help of VAR in the goalless draw between Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

Enzo Maresca and Oliver Glasner's sides met at Stamford Bridge to begin the new Premier League season and were forced to share the points.

But this outcome only came after an Eze free-kick was ruled out in the 15th minute of the first half.

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The 27-year-old shrugged off the distraction of Tottenham Hotspur transfer talks to not only play for Palace but also believe he had handed them the lead against London rivals Chelsea.

However, referee Darren England consulted his video assistant referee James Bell, who recommended a pitch-side review for Palace captain Marc Guehi's involvement in the goal as he jostled with Moises Caicedo in the Blues wall.

Eze's strike was subsequently ruled out and the Eagles' celebrations cut short. The official Premier League match centre, which explains VAR decisions online, wrote: "After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of a goal to Crystal Palace.

"Referee announcement: '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'."

Following this up with fresh insight for , former English top-flight referee Foy has explained why he believes this was the correct process and decision from the officials.

"I thought this was a really good decision but it did cause a lot of noise, didn’t it? It’s something we don’t see very often," Foy began.

"Brought in in 2019 to tidy up the defensive wall. I think as a former referee, one of the most difficult things is when you were forming a wall prior to this change in law, was when you get attackers on the end of the wall.

"They’ll stand in front of it, they’ll stand behind it, they’re standing on feet, they’re pushing - it becomes very, very difficult and untidy.

"The law says if there is three or more players for the wall, as an attacker you’ve got to be one metre away. That creates space then so you don’t get the shenanigans you got previously.

"The goal was scored and as we know it was checked, the VAR on this occasion was James Bell, who clearly identified Marc Guehi was in the wall.

"He was less than a metre away and there was an action there where he was sort of pushing a Chelsea defender.

"Now, he’s quite rightly recommended a review, Darren England’s gone to the monitor and of course we’ve also got pitchside announcements this season.

"It was a subjective decision, Darren explained it and the goal was quite rightly disallowed."

Foy concluded: "People don’t like it but there is an acceptance it was the right call. Well done to the refereeing team."