Wolves suffered another defeat in the Premier League against Fulham, with Willian securing an injury-time winner from the penalty spot

The match, however, was marred by additional controversy surrounding the video assistant referee (VAR) system, further contributing to the ongoing debate about the role and impact of VAR in football officiating.

In a Premier League clash that ended 3-2, Wolves experienced another bout of video assistant referee (VAR) controversy at the hands of referee Michael Salisbury. With the score leveled at 2-2, Salisbury initially waved off an incident involving Harry Wilson and Joao Gomes in the box. However, after a VAR review prompted him to consult the pitchside monitor, he reversed his decision, awarding the third penalty of the match.

Willian capitalized on the opportunity, converting his second spot-kick of the half. The game had earlier seen Alex Iwobi open the scoring for Fulham in the seventh minute, followed by Matheus Cunha’s equalizer and Willian’s first penalty, with Wolves responding with a penalty of their own from Hwang Hee-chan.

The contest was marked by VAR scrutiny, particularly in the assessment of penalties. The first awarded penalty, involving Nelson Semedo and Tom Cairney, withstood a lengthy VAR review. Another penalty was swiftly awarded to Wolves after Tim Reem fouled Hwang Hee-chan. In stoppage time, a late penalty call for Fulham, initiated by VAR intervention, secured the victory for the home side.

This match adds to a series of contentious VAR decisions affecting Wolves this season. Manager Gary O’Neil and the team have voiced frustration over previous incidents, including a denied penalty against Manchester United and a disputed decision against Newcastle. Despite hitting the bar in the first half through Hwang, Wolves left Craven Cottage aggrieved.

The defeat further compounds Wolves’ challenges, especially as they head to their next match against Arsenal without Lemina and Gomes, both suspended due to accumulating yellow cards. The result, however, ended Fulham’s four-match winless streak in the Premier League.