Alan Shearer launches sensational VAR rant on PGMOL 'bulls***' after Chelsea controversy

VAR was at the centre of controversy once more during Chelsea's win over Fulham (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Alan Shearer launched a fiery attack on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) while blasting the “bull****” decision against Fulham .

Saturday’s early kick-off in the Premier League saw Fulham take the lead in the 22nd minute at Stamford Bridge, with Josh King finding the net against west London rivals Chelsea . But following a VAR review, referee Robert Jones was called to the screen, where he decided to chalk off the 18-year-old’s goal .

Jones announced on-field that Rodrigo Muniz had committed a “careless challenge” and stood on the foot of Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up, which many viewers deemed a highly unfair decision .

To make matters worse for Fulham, the Blues’ opening goal in their 2-0 victory came nine minutes into eight minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Referees chief Howard Webb has since spoken to Fulham and admitted the decision was an error. He said the decision to rule out the goal did not reach the high bar of a VAR intervention as it was not a clear and obvious error by the referee, and should have been a 'referees' call' instead.

Referees' body PGMOL later replaced VAR culprit Michael Salisbury with John Brooks for Liverpool vs Arsenal on Sunday.

However, Webb’s admission has done little to quell the outrage towards VAR just three games into the season, with Newcastle legend Shearer ripping into the officials’ decision-making.

He said on The Rest Is Football podcast: "Honestly, tell me, you have two professional referees – allegedly – who are sat in the VAR room watching screens, two of them, who are meant to know the game and who are meant to be very very good at their job.

Fulham's Joshua King had his goal against Chelsea ruled out by VAR (Image: George Tewkesbury/Shutterstock)

"And you've got a referee on the pitch who saw the incident clearly and didn't give it but then thinks, 'Actually I've made a huge error here, the guys have sent me to the screen and I'm gonna overturn my decision'.

"I mean, we can swear on here but not on Match of the Day, what the f*** are they thinking? You're not going to re-referee, you're not going to interfere and it's only for the clear and obvious. Three things.

"Where have those three things gone? It's bulls***. What has happened to the game? Tell me, what's happened to those three things, please.

"Howard Webb, you're in charge, tell us what has happened to those three things because every single game you're re-refereeing and you're interfering, and you’re overturning decisions which are not clear and obvious.

"Now please explain to us what has gone wrong from when you announced it to now. And then to rub salt in the wounds because of that extra time they're looking at the screens, Chelsea then go and score in the time added because of the s*** decisions."

Alan Shearer could not understand how VAR overturned the referee's initially correct decision (Image: YouTube/The Rest Is Football)

Shearer added: "I was angry, like every Fulham player and fan and Marco Silva. You could tell he was just thinking what on earth has the game come to when those goals are being disallowed.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva described the decision as "unbelievable" when speaking to TNT Sports after the game. He said: "How you disallow a goal like that is unbelievable. We have meetings with referees and people in charge, we all want to win.

"VAR is not here to re-referee the game. I would prefer not to say something more because I would be punished. I want to be on the touchline next week to help my team, I don't want to be fined. But it has been a difficult start to the season with some decisions."

Ironically, Shearer was chosen to front some of the Premier League’s explainer videos on VAR when it was first introduced to the Premier League in 2019. In what will now surely be a cringeworthy moment personally for the pundit, an old clip shows him highlighting the benefits of VAR, one of which was meant to be “minimum interference.”

He had said: “VAR is in the Premier League this season and it will help our referees get more decisions correct. Let’s be clear, we won’t see 100% accuracy. Some decisions will be subjective and not everyone will agree, but the VAR will be checking every key decision.

“The Premier League is setting a high bar for VAR involvement. The philosophy is minimum interference, maximum benefit. Keeping the pace and passion we all know and love.”