Bournemouth were denied what many saw as a clear penalty early in the second half of their goalless draw with Brentford at the Vitality Stadium.
Just under 90 seconds after the restart, Alex Jimenez slipped a pass through Brentford’s defence to Marcus Tavernier. Tavernier shrugged off Michael Kayode, raced into the box and saw his shot crash against the left-hand post. While the on-field angle initially suggested Tavernier had lost his footing, replays showed Kayode making contact with Tavernier’s Achilles as he went through to the ball.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola angrily criticised the decision, saying he thought the penalty was obvious and that both the on-field officials and VAR missed it. He argued Kayode lost position and stretched to make contact, which affected the finish, and expressed frustration that VAR did not overturn the referee’s call.
VAR official Darren England reviewed the incident but the decision stood and no penalty was awarded.
Tavernier told broadcasters he felt contact on his arm and then on his Achilles as he ran through, and that the referee informed him the incident had been checked. He added that, given the contact and the way he was unsettled in the air, he would likely have scored if untouched and described the outcome as unfortunate.
Sky Sports analyst Patrick Rowe labelled the non-call ‘mind-boggling’, saying Kayode clearly caught Tavernier’s Achilles just before the strike and that Bournemouth were wrongly denied a spot-kick — a decision Rowe warned could matter in a tight Premier League table.
On the pitch, Bournemouth were the more dangerous side for large periods. Tavernier struck the frame twice, including the effort that hit the post, and Ryan Christie combined well with Evanilson to create openings. James Hill headed over from a cross, and Christie produced the game’s best first-half chance when he combined with Evanilson and forced Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher into a save.
Evanilson ran smartly through two defenders to finish, but the flag went up for offside and the goal was ruled out. In stoppage time, Junior Kroupi missed a close-range opportunity, skewing his effort narrowly past the far post.
The draw leaves Bournemouth in ninth place, while Brentford missed a chance to leap above Chelsea into sixth. Ultimately the match will be remembered less for the football and more for the VAR controversy that left Bournemouth and many observers convinced a clear penalty was overlooked.