Marco Silva risks punishment for calling out referee Matt Donohue and VAR John Brooks after a 1-0 defeat to West Ham.
The first was a penalty awarded but then overturned after review, then Fulham felt that Mateus Fernandes should have been shown a second yellow card just before half time after Fernandes made a last-ditch attempt to halt King’s progress before he entered the box.
Premier League Match Centre: “#FULWHU – 49’ VAR OVERTURN – After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of penalty to Fulham.
Referee announcement: “After review, Fulham 10 kicks the back of West Ham 11. Therefore, my final decision is a free-kick to West Ham.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “For many different reasons, first of all for the result and we lost the game. Definitely didn’t deserve much more from the game and so many incidents that dictate the result the result this evening.
“For me, it’s clear firstly to talk about ourselves and the goal we conceded we gave a goal basically at this level if you want to win football matches you cant. And of course after the incident the referees decision were at a very low level in my opinion. Not at the level a game like this one, decisive games in this moment in the season should be and have the impact of VAR. And John Brooks with Fulham Football Club, he was on VAR and he was able to decide against the referee decision on the pitch is unbelievable.
“It has been a little bit the story of our season when John Brooks is involved with us. It was very unlucky again with the decision when he was not on the pitch, a decision that he took in the office looking for the decision.
“Many, many incidents that the game can be in our direction,. Even the penalty, I repeat again John Brooks took and decided against the on-field decision. Very difficult to understand mistakes in games against ourselves, but it is what is is. We have to respect. We have to do it. We cannot control.
“All the decisions, they were against us.”
Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney, speaking to TNT Sports on whether it was a penalty on him that VAR decided otherwise: “Yeah because if it’s not there, I score. He’s [Taty Castellanos] not got the ball. I haven’t tackled him.
“He gave a free-kick for Josh King for exactly the same thing. He gave a foul to us where Josh King kicks him when he’s about to shoot and the same thing happened to me inside the box. The referee gives a penalty and then VAR try to find something like they normally do, send the ref over to the screen and make another decision.
“That’s what happened. If he’s not there I score.”
Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to TNT Sports: “It was a very difficult match. I think the boys gave it their all. It’s a tough place to come. A fantastic team, Fulham, even after they make the subs, they’re stronger. We fight until the end and it means a lot to us, it means a lot to our fans that were huge today the help that they gave us.”
On Crysencio Summerville’s goal: “He’s in a very good moment. He’s full of confidence. He’s helping the team a lot. “
On keeping a clean sheet: “The clean sheet is always our goal when we start the games. We want to be compact to our opponents because the talent that we have can make the difference.”
On the trajectory of the team: “We are improving game by game. It can happen, games like Liverpool, but the confidence is there and the boys are working very hard, very committed knowing that the situation that we are [in] doesn’t change anything. We are focused on ourselves and keep going.”
Crysencio Summerville spoke to TNT Sports: “Very massive, we have to fight until the end, that’s what we did. I am very pleased to get the three points.
“The ball came to me, so I needed to take my composure. The coach said we have to be composed in the final third, I took the advice and I am happy I took it away!
“I am in a good space, I love to play, I am just happy to be back and I try to show it every week.
“We have to keep going now, we took positives from the Liverpool game, we had lots of positives, the fans behind us are very pleased and we are going in the right direction, the only way is up.”
West Ham goalscorer Crysencio Summerville on TNT: “Very massive, we have to fight until the end, that’s what we did. I am very pleased to get the three points.
“The ball came to me, so I needed to take my composure. The coach said we have to be composed in the final third, I took the advice and I am happy I took it away!
“I am in a good space, I love to play, I am just happy to be back and I try to show it every week.
“We have to keep going now, we took positives from the Liverpool game, we had lots of positives, the fans behind us are very pleased and we are going in the right direction, the only way is up.”
Dermot Gallagher said on Sky Sports‘ Ref Watch: “I think it’s 100 per cent not a foul [for the penalty]. I think Cairney catches the opponent in the back of the leg.
“He goes to shoot and he doesn’t see his opponent coming, he just catches him.
“I think it [the second yellow card] is a carbon-copy incident.”
Jay Bothroyd said: “It’s a penalty all day long. He’s going to strike the ball, the player has put his leg there. He hasn’t touched the ball, he’s not in control in the ball and he’s stopped the player from shooting.
“I thought the second one was a yellow card… I think the West Ham player commits the foul.
“King is trying to shoot and Fernandes hasn’t touched the ball at all – it’s still rolling.
“When you stop a player from shooting, for me, it’s a foul or penalty.”
Another incident saw West Ham fans angry at being denied a penalty after an alleged handball by Fulham’s Alex Iwobi.
Dermot Gallagher said: “I think the officials have got it right, because Matt Donohue can’t see that. VAR looks, and I think it hits him high up on the arm.
“Iwobi actually shows him, and it hits him very, very high on the arm.”
Jay Bothroyd: “I agree. It’s way too high. Handball is below the sleeve, above the sleeve is fine, and you can clearly see it’s hit him above the sleeve.”
Twitter users reacted as Marco Silva risks punishment for calling out the referee and VAR after defeat to West Ham…
@jaymeeteewhu98: Recycling the same words every time he never gets a win. Hold the L my friend. ⚒️
@andy10265: First descision of match which would of changed his GK Iwobi making a superb save
@1982Stix: He watched a different game to me. We were very poor.
@deangoodall440: No we didn’t Marco. Really poor performance. West Ham deserved that more than Fulham.
@PikesReturn: Was there a journalist there? Did they challenge him on all the bullshit?
@ClaretBluBlood: Why doesn’t this whiny little bitch watch replays before being interviewed? Its clear that King kicks Fernandes’ leg and he even got to the ball first? Didn’t mention the Iwobi handball though eh?
@jodiewo70620746: Absolute bellend, wanted red for fernandes when he was fouled, claimed a pen when VAR showed it was clearly not and didn’t mention the pen West Ham should have had, glad you got done mate
@alfklly: Genuinely talking out of his arse, man. Quality of execution was so poor, you can’t even just put it down to 4 changes and it breaking up the rhythm, it was completely a mentality problem and thinking we could just rock up. Sometimes he just needs to front up
@craigeylesffc: Sad to say I think yesterday proved that Marco Silva has reached his ceiling with us but only problem is as a club do we actually go to get that next step up in management and in personal to push on from being mid table or do we stick and just continue with safe mid table #ffc
@GeoffDowns: Like to see him Interviews again, once he has watched the game back, as he going to be a little bit embarrassed with what he has just said!!! 🤡
@robpatterson24: He overturned the penalty because Taty did absolutely nothing and got a kick to the calf for his trouble, you spoon 😂
@ffc_george1: Tonight’s loss was all on Marco silva. That line up was a fa cup line up. Why are we playing iwobi on left instead of the 6 which he’s been playing well in recently also why he is he playing josh king instead of smith-row doesn’t make any sense.
@SteveWHU9: Marco Silva talking bollocks. Must have watched a different game.
Marco Silva post-match interview:
Said Fulham shouldn’t have lost.
Said nothing about the penalty we should have had.
Bemoaned no red for Fernandes, when Fernandes was fouled.
Whinged about the overturned penalty, when it was their player who caught Castellanos.
Bitter. pic.twitter.com/kGh1t1dRBl
— Central (@WestHam_Central) March 4, 2026
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