‘Shame’ – Mike Dean reacts ‘100%’ to West Brom vs Sunderland controversy live on Sky Sports

Mike Dean stated that Jobe Bellingham’s disallowed goal in the first half of the 2-1 victory over West Brom was undeniably a wrong decision and would have unquestionably been overturned by VAR. The former Premier League referee shared his views on the incident during Sky Sports Soccer Saturday. Dean expressed disappointment, labeling it a “shame” that a valid goal was disallowed due to an offside call against Patrick Roberts, who was not interfering with play, and Cedric Kipre was keeping the scorer onside.

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Dean, speaking at 12:54 pm, asserted, “It’s definitely a wrong decision. He’s onside by at least a yard to be fair. There’s a few things that happened after the initial decision, but you can clearly see there he’s a good yard onside. The keeper saves it, comes back out to Bellingham, puts in the back of the net, and that’s just a goal. VAR would have overturned it 100%.”

Simon Thomas questioned how the assistant referee did not spot the correct call, to which Dean responded, “Well, he has seen it but he’s seen the wrong thing. He’s just made the wrong decision, Gary Beswick. It’s just a shame because it’s a good goal, good build-up, and should have been a goal, 100%.”

Despite West Brom appearing more threatening in the first half, Palmer’s error almost negated their efforts. The officiating, a constant source of frustration for fans, became a central point of discussion. While VAR is often criticized, this instance highlighted its intended purpose. West Brom, fortunate that VAR isn’t in operation in the second tier, entered halftime with a 0-0 scoreline. The absence of VAR spared them from potential intervention in Maja’s injury, caused by a challenge from Dan Ballard.

Ballard, who initially caused Maja’s injury, later scored in the second half, leading Sunderland to secure a 2-1 victory.