Jamie Redknapp slams Premier League ref's 'monumental mistake' after new controversy
Eberechi Eze had a stunning free-kick ruled out during Crystal Palace's 2-1 defeat away to Brentford on Sunday, with VAR unable to intervene because the referee had already blown his whistle
Jamie Redknapp has slammed Premier League referee Samuel Barrott after he made a 'monumental mistake' during Crystal Palace's controversial 2-1 loss at Brentford.
Midway through the first half, Palace star Eze took a free-kick from out wide and caught Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken out at his near post, seemingly opening the scoring for the visitors. Barrott had already blown his whistle before the ball hit the back of the net, though, having spotted a collision between Brentford defender Nathan Collins and Palace midfielder Will Hughes.
His decision meant that even if Hughes didn't foul Collins by the letter of the law, VAR couldn't intervene because the referee had already halted play while the ball was still active. A post from the Premier League's new match centre account explained: "The referee awards a free-kick to Brentford for a foul by Hughes on Collins. The whistle was blown before the ball entered the goal, so VAR cannot intervene and the referee's call stands."
Only three minutes later, the incident became even more controversial as Brentford took the lead through winger Bryan Mbeumo. His solo effort put the home side ahead just before the half-hour mark, leaving Palace furious.
READ MORE: Sky Sports fans can save £216 on their bill, here's three other reasons you'll want to pick itREAD MORE: Premier League 'confident' major technology change will help eradicate VAR issueDuring the half-time break, Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Redknapp slammed Barrott's decision to blow his whistle, saying: "You could've done a better tweet saying, 'the referee has had a nightmare'. It is a monumental mistake, he should just let it breathe.
"I'm not even sure if it's a foul, first and foremost. I feel so sorry for Eze, this is genius what he does here. The referee just does too much; stay out of it and let it breathe. It's a brilliant, brilliant piece of play, he could've blown after if he wanted but to do it so quickly, I feel so sorry for Eze."
Fellow pundit Micah Richards then gave his verdict by declaring: "Collins has got hold of [Hughes] there. It's not a foul!"
Your turn! Would Eberechi Eze's goal have been ruled out by VAR anyway? Give us your verdict in the comments section
Post-match, Eze told reporters: "I was told (by the referee) that he blew too early and made the mistake. It could have changed the game but we have to deal with it. It wasn't our only chance.
"If we perform like that then we'll do well. It's a game, you're going to make mistakes as a referee and unfortunately, it happened to us today. You'd hope it'd even out throughout the season."
Barrott refereed his first Premier League match in October 2023 at the age of 30, having impressing in the EFL, where VAR isn't used. The ex-Halifax Town academy prospect has been officiating professionally since 2020.
Palace got themselves back on level terms in the second half, benefitting from an own goal courtesy of Brentford's Ethan Pinnock. It came after some tidy link-up play between Eze and Tyrick Mitchell down the left-hand side. Mitchell's cross found Daniel Munoz at the far post and Pinnock ended up nudging the ball into his own net while trying to clear.
Brentford restored their advantage and sealed the win with 14 minutes to go, however, as Yoane Wissa - starting at striker instead of Ivan Toney amid increasing speculation over his future - benefitted from Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson only being able to palm away Collins' deflected strike straight into his path.
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