João Pedro’s Goal in the 45+4 Minute and VAR Controversy: What Do Experts & Netizens Say?

João Pedro’s goal in first-half injury time (45+4’) became the turning point of the match. An accurate cross from Enzo Fernández was headed by Pedro, breaking the deadlock and giving Chelsea huge energy before halftime. This goal was also recorded as one of the latest first-half goals in Premier League history.

According to Sky Sports analysts, a late goal like this psychologically damages the opponent’s concentration:

“Conceding in first-half injury time feels twice as painful. Fulham lost momentum, and Chelsea bounced back with confidence in the second half.”

Football Expert Responses

• EPL Tactical Expert assessed Fulham’s defensive coordination as less tight approaching halftime, even though teams are usually more vigilant in the final minutes.
• Former Chelsea player, Didier Drogba, praised João Pedro via his X (Twitter) account: “A true striker is always there in important moments. That Pedro goal was class!”

Meanwhile, independent analysts highlighted the Pedro–Fernández combination as a new duo that could be Chelsea’s weapon this season.

Netizen Reactions

On social media, this goal immediately went viral.

• Chelsea fans called João Pedro “Batman Stamford Bridge” for coming to save the team at a critical time.
• Fulham supporters were disappointed, saying their team lost focus in “the last few seconds.”
• Many netizens highlighted that after Pedro’s goal, Chelsea became more confident, and Fulham’s momentum was completely lost.

Besides Pedro’s goal, this match was widely discussed because VAR disallowed Josh King’s goal for Fulham. This raises the question: how important is VAR and how accurate is this system?

• FIFA & IFAB Statistics (2023/24) show that VAR decisions in top European leagues have an accuracy rate of 96%–98% in correcting referee decisions.
• In the EPL, according to Premier League Referee Board data, referee decision accuracy increased from 82% (without VAR) to 96% (with VAR).

English referee expert, Dermot Gallagher, commented:

“VAR is not perfect, but it helps ensure fairness. Fulham’s goal did have a small foul, so according to the rules, the decision to disallow it was correct.”