Dermot Gallagher shares whether Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty for handball against West Ham

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Former referee Dermot Gallagher has told Sky Sports that he believes Chelsea deserved a penalty late in their game with West Ham at the weekend.

The Blues’ run without a win extended to three games as they were held 1-1 at the London stadium.

They had opened the scoring through Joao Felix, who gave the deserving finish to a glorious pass from club-record signing Enzo Fernandez.

However, as they searched for a winner late on they were met with a questionable refereeing decision both on the field and via VAR.

Conor Gallagher’s goalbound shot was deflected away by Tomas Soucek, with it clearly hitting the Hammers midfielder’s arm.

Despite appeals from the Blues nearby, no decision was given, and a penalty was not awarded.

Chelsea deserved a penalty

Former referee Gallagher has now claimed that this was the incorrect decision, and VAR did not get the context of Soucek’s actions correct.

He said: “Definitely a penalty. I’ve spoken to very few people who don’t think it’s a penalty. VAR felt that it fell into the bracket of him falling, and the arm hitting the floor, but if you look at Soucek he doesn’t fall to the floor, he dives towards the ball.

“That’s almost a goalkeeper type movement. If you look at it a few times, certainly, it’s a penalty.”

Not for the first time this season, Chelsea left the field feeling aggrieved by a late decision that could have cost them a number of points.

It will be down to Graham Potter now, who no doubt needed a win desperately, to pick up his players ahead of this week’s big Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund.

The competition holds the club’s only chance at silverware remaining in 2023, and they will need to rely on all of their pedigree in this competition to defeat the Bundesliga side.