Eberechi Eze’s free-kick had everything you’d script for a footballing blockbuster: the swagger of a street baller, the whip of a seasoned set-piece artist, and that unmistakable South London sparkle that makes him box-office every time he touches the ball. He lined it up as if auditioning for ‘Bend It Like Beckham 2,’ struck it so sweetly that the ball kissed the air, Stamford Bridge collectively gasped, and Robert Sánchez stood rooted to the spot like a buffering stream.
For a fleeting moment, Crystal Palace roared in joy, Chelsea sulked in disbelief, and neutrals fell hopelessly in love with the artistry. But just as the scene was set for instant highlight-reel immortality, the dreaded buzz of VAR’s walkie-talkie cut through the jubilation, dragging us from footballing poetry back into soul-crushing bureaucracy. On came VAR, lumbering across the stage like an unwanted guest, flipping through IFAB’s dusty rulebook as though it held the secrets of the universe, and in one joyless decision, what should have been a memory for the ages was reduced to nothing more than a geometry lesson nobody asked for.
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Eberechi Eze's goal that went viral… then vanished
Eberechi Eze’s free-kick had all the makings of a viral clip: unstoppable, unsaveable, and unfair on Chelsea’s wall. The ball bent with venom, Sánchez waved at thin air, and Selhurst Park, miles away, probably rattled anyway. But as Palace players swarmed their talisman, a new reality unfolded: referee Darren England was being beckoned to the pitch-side monitor.
The mood shifted instantly. We’ve seen it before: the crowd’s cheers turn into groans, the TV commentators sharpen their debate voices, and fans begin scrolling furiously on Twitter to find out what the problem even was. Spoiler: it wasn’t offside, nor a phantom handball. It was Marc Guéhi, Palace’s captain, standing a bit too close for comfort. One metre too close, to be precise.
VAR: From hero to fun police
Let’s be clear: the goal wasn’t disallowed because Marc Guéhi shoved Moisés Caicedo out of the way like a nightclub bouncer. That might have been acceptable, apparently. The actual crime? Encroachment. According to IFAB’s Law 13, no attacking player can stand within a metre of a defensive wall of three or more players.
Guéhi, it turned out, was practically shoulder-to-shoulder with Chelsea’s defenders as Eberechi Eze struck. The ruling feels obscure, like a footnote in a dusty law book dragged into the spotlight. But in modern football, VAR finds those dusty rules and wields them like Excalibur. Darren England spelled it out to the crowd: ‘Away number six is less than one metre from the wall. Therefore, it’s an indirect free-kick.’ Palace fans? Speechless. Chelsea fans? Pretended they understood.
#CHECRY – 13’ VAR OVERTURN
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) August 17, 2025
After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of goal to Crystal Palace.
Referee announcement: “After review, away number six is less than one metre away from the wall as the shot is taken. Therefore, it's an indirect free kick and a…
South London meltdown
The reaction from Palace was as dramatic as Eberechi Eze’s strike. Arms waved, heads shook, and Oliver Glasner’s eyebrows nearly flew off his forehead. Fans behind the goal fumed, certain they’d witnessed daylight robbery. To them, this wasn’t encroachment, it was innovation. ‘That’s just clever positioning,’ they argued. Meanwhile, pundits scrambled for talking points. Chris Sutton branded it ‘mighty harsh.’ Steve Sidwell muttered about precedents being set.
Social media, naturally, went into meltdown. Memes of Eze’s free-kick being stopped by a giant red ‘VAR’ logo flooded feeds. But beneath the laughter lay a serious frustration: fans don’t want artistry erased by technicalities. Goals like Eze’s are why people tune in. To have them erased by geometry and tape measures feels, frankly, joyless.
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Chelsea’s silent fist pump
While Palace seethed, Chelsea barely disguised their relief. Their set-piece coach, Bernardo Cueva, had spotted the infringement immediately and was already lobbying the fourth official before the monitor check. Sánchez, who had been beaten cleanly, exhaled deeply and adjusted his gloves like nothing had happened.
The Chelsea players didn’t celebrate the VAR decision too loudly, but Stamford Bridge gave a knowing cheer once the announcement crackled across the tannoy. It was less jubilation, more smug vindication. After all, rules are rules, right? Still, even some Blues fans admitted it felt hollow. Eberechi Eze’s strike was highlight-reel worthy; the only clip Chelsea got instead was a referee announcing encroachment. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you frame on the wall next to Drogba’s Champions League winner.
VAR and the future of free-kicks (AKA geometry class 101)
For Palace, the disallowed goal stung twice: not only did it deny them a lead at Stamford Bridge, but it may also have robbed Eberechi Eze of a farewell wonder strike. With Spurs circling and transfer talks heating up, this could’ve been his last iconic moment in red and blue. Instead, it’s been reduced to a footnote in a refereeing controversy. For the Premier League, though, this moment may be remembered as the weekend VAR went ultra-literal on free-kick walls. If that’s the precedent, defenders everywhere will be screaming for encroachment every time someone breathes near them. Fans, already weary of stop-start football, may just roll their eyes and sigh: here we go again. For now, the law stands. But one thing’s for sure, Eberechi Eze deserved better than geometry gate.
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