Leicester have asked the Premier League for clarification amid concerns over the VAR procedure which allowed them to concede their opening goal in last Saturday’s draw with Crystal Palace.
With Leicester leading 2-0 at Selhurst Park, Jean-Philippe Mateta gave the home side the ball early in the second half. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but was later upheld after a VAR check. The match finished 2-2 after Mateta also scored a penalty in injury time.
It was an extremely close call. On the X Two images were released in the report from the Premier League Match Centre, which the governing body has been using this season to explain marginal decisions.
The first shows James Justin raising his foot to block Tyrick Mitchell’s cross, with Mateta lurking in the middle. The second shows Mateta in the middle, well behind a single green line.
Mail Sport understands Leicester are not yet convinced that the image used to judge Mateta onside is from the precise moment the ball was played, rather than a fraction of a second after. There is a two-inch margin of error in the current technology. Semi-automated offside, which is thought to provide a more accurate assessment of such decisions, is expected to be introduced from October.
Leicester want clarity from the Premier League over the VAR procedure used to rule Jean-Philippe Mateta offside for his opening goal last weekend
The Premier League used this angle to determine whether he was offside or not. Leicester are not convinced the ball was released at this point
The Premier League Match Centre also provided this angle for analysis of the incident
Steve Cooper was diplomatic when speaking about the controversy after the match
After the game, Leicester manager Steve Cooper said: ‘If it’s offside, no problem, we’ll hold our hands up, but we can’t call offside based on suggestions, which is all we’ve seen so far. We’ve got to get that image off the Premier League quickly. If that’s the case, then I’ll accept it.’
Leicester have already come into conflict with the authorities this season, albeit with the FA rather than the Premier League.
The FA accused the club of failing to control their players after they protested against referee David Coote’s decision not to award a penalty at the end of their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on 31 August.
After last season’s promotion, Leicester know they have a tough campaign ahead of them, but it could have been much tougher had it not been for a major win off the pitch.
An independent panel ruled that the club should not be punished under the club’s Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules for losses it has made in recent seasons, despite being accused of breaching those rules by the Premier League earlier this year.
If the charge had been upheld, Leicester would likely have faced a significant points deduction this season. Following the ruling, the Premier League issued a statement saying it was “surprised and disappointed”.