Chelsea manager Graham Potter sarcastically congratulated Tomas Soucek for a “good save” after his side were denied a late penalty for handball by the West Ham midfielder during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the London Stadium.
Potter called his side’s display a “step forward”, despite seeing Joao Felix’s early goal cancelled out by former Chelsea man Emerson Palmieri.
West Ham looked to have stolen all three points late on when Soucek turned in from close-range after Kepa Arrizabalaga had parried Declan Rice’s header, but the goal was ruled out for offside on review.
VAR declined to intervene minutes later, however, when substitute Conor Gallagher saw his shot strike the hand of Soucek as the Czech slid in to block.
“I thought it was a good save,” Potter said. “You need your goalkeeper sometimes to get you the points. It hasn’t been given so there’s nothing for me to say.
“I’ve only seen it briefly as I walked across. It’s one of those ones that if it had been given, it wouldn’t have been overturned but it hasn’t been given so I don’t know.
“It looked quite a handball to me. Again, like I said, I didn’t know Tomas could get down that easily and save like that, it’s a good stop from him. It’s not for me to say about VAR.”
Chelsea could easily have been 3-0 up inside 25 minutes as both Felix and Kai Havertz saw goals ruled out for marginal offside decisions either side of the Portuguese star’s fine opener.
A bright start in which January signings Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez also shone fizzled out, however, and Emerson’s leveller means Potter’s side have now won just once in eight games since the turn of the year.
“I thought first-half was quite positive but the second-half was probably more of a reflection of where we are as a group and a team in terms of players coming up to speed, players returning from injury and players getting used to the Premier League,” he said. “That’s the work in progress but there was a step forward, I thought, overall from the previous game.”
Asked whether he felt Chelsea fans might be surprised to hear another disappointing result hailed as a step in the right direction, Potter added: “Chelsea fans are entitled to their view and I understand when we’re not winning they’ll be disappointed, like we are.
“From a performance perspective I thought it was [a step forward]. I think you saw the potential of the team today but you can also see where the work is.
“Getting Reece James up to speed, getting Ben Chilwell up to speed, getting Ruben Loftus-Cheek up to speed, getting Wesley Fofana up to speed, getting N’Golo Kante up to speed.
“Adapting Mudryk to the Premier League, adapting Noni Madueke into the Premier League, adapting Benoit Badiashile into the Premier League, adapting Joao Felix into the Premier League.
“That’s just how it is, that’s how I see it, I’m just being honest. But I completely understand that people are frustrated if you don’t win.”
