Chelsea handed fresh VAR verdict on Brentford equaliser — ‘VAR should have…’

Fabio Carvalho’s stoppage-time strike rescued Brentford a point vs Chelsea and reignited the VAR debate after a chaotic long-throw routine at the Gtech.

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Saturday's equaliser was our 7th long throw goal since the start of the 2024/25 season ... no other side has scored more than two@Playmaker_EN look at how we are are leading the way with long throws back in fashion ⤵️@cynergybank

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 15, 2025

What happened

Chelsea fell behind to Kevin Schade’s first-half finish, hit back through substitute Cole Palmer and then turned it around when Moisés Caicedo made it 2–1 late on. In stoppage time, a long throw sparked a near-post flick and back-post scramble that ended with Carvalho slotting home for 2–2.

The flashpoint

Replays showed Dango Ouattara apparently ahead of the last defender when Kristoffer Ajer flicked the ball on. The question: did Ouattara make an attempt to play the ball or impact a defender’s ability to do so? If yes, offside; if not, the goal stands. On the field the goal was given, and VAR did not intervene to overturn.

Maresca’s reaction

Enzo Maresca said he hadn’t rewatched the incident post-match and asked his staff why VAR checked the second goal, but he stopped short of offering a definitive view.

‘Good goal’ vs ‘do more’: split officiating views

• Dermot Gallagher (Sky Sports Ref Watch): Backed the on-field decision. Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself; in his view, Ouattara neither touched the ball nor interfered with an opponent.
• Keith Hackett (former PGMOL chief): Felt the process left doubt. He suggested VAR “should have” done more — at a minimum, show the offside lines and fully examine any interference — especially with semi-automated offside tools available.

Why this matters for Chelsea

A win would have taken Chelsea top of the Premier League. Instead, two points slipped away in stoppage time and a long-throw equaliser has dragged VAR’s consistency back under the microscope. For Maresca, the performance had positives, but the finale stung.

The long throw wrinkle

This wasn’t a one-off. Brentford repeatedly targeted Chelsea with long throws, crowding the six-yard box and hunting second balls. It’s exactly the kind of engineered chaos that makes these routines so hard to defend — and so hard to officiate in real time.

The bigger picture

Chelsea’s late concession feeds two storylines at once: game-management in the final minutes and the ongoing debate about how VAR applies “interfering with an opponent” on tight offside calls. Until there’s greater transparency around the process — and consistent use of the tech — moments like Carvalho’s equaliser will continue to divide opinion.