Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has expressed his views on one controversial moment in Derby County loss.
Derby County suffered their first home loss of the 2024/25 Championship campaign as Norwich City won 3-2 at Pride Park.
Paul Warne will have taken plenty of positives from the game, despite the scoreline, including the great substitute appearance of Corey Blackett-Taylor and the brilliant performance of Craig Forsyth, who was able to slot in for the injured Callum Elder.
However, the game was overshadowed by one particular moment full of controversy as Norwich City’s first goal of the game was wrongfully allowed to stand.
Borja Sainz managed an impressive back-heel goal that beat Jacob Widell Zetterstrom in-between the sticks for the Rams, however it came from an assist from Josh Sargent, who looked to have played the ball after it had gone out of play.
Following the bizarre decision, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has expressed his views on the incident.
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Keith Hackett expresses ‘disappointment’ at decision in Derby County vs Norwich City
The first goal for Norwich City grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and it made a significant difference in the end to the scoreline.
After the questionable decision made by the assistant referee, Hackett has expressed his concerns at the standard of officiating at the game, where he wrote on X: “I would be very disappointed if my Assistant referee did not flag that the ball was out of play. Not good officiating.”
There was also a further incident in the game that saw the ball go out of play yet again for Norwich City and Sainz’s third goal of the game against Warne’s side.
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Refereeing decision has highlighted major problem with officiating
There is a massive debate in football which is often sparked following strange decisions such as this one, and it involves whether VAR should be implemented in the Championship, as well as the other English football leagues.
It is certain that two of Norwich City’s goals against Derby County would not have stood if the referee was given the opportunity to review the goal and make a decision following the move had been played out on whether the ball went over the touchline.
The lack of VAR in the Championship has most certainly cost Warne’s side one, if not all three points in their home clash against Norwich City, particularly after they put in such a brilliant performance, and such an obvious decision being missed will only heighten the necessity of a change in the current state of officiating in the second tier.