Norwich defender Timm Klose admits Willian deserved penalty after VAR denied Chelsea in FA Cup

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Matt McGeehan18 January 2018

Norwich defender Timm Klose has admitted he fouled Willian in a decision which ignited Video Assistant Referee controversy as Chelsea were denied a penalty.

Chelsea survived a scare on Wednesday night to advance in the FA Cup, prevailing 5-3 on penalties after a chaotic replay at Stamford Bridge.

Former England captain Alan Shearer, working as a pundit for the BBC, criticised the decision of match referee Graham Scott not to consult VAR Mike Jones over Klose's challenge on Willian early in the first period of extra time. Shearer described VAR as a "shambles".

Klose afterwards conceded it should have been a penalty, before admonishing Chelsea's players for diving. Pedro and Alvaro Morata were both sent off for two bookable offences, with both players' first yellow cards coming for diving.

Antonio Conte lashes out at VAR after Chelsea 'denied penalty'

​Klose told talkSPORT: "I think the first one on Willian is a pen. I'm brutally honest there. I think I caught him.

"On the pitch I was not sure because it happened so fast. When I saw it again afterwards I was like 'ooh, that's quite close'. I guess you can give it.

"The second one was a dive, from then on they pushed it too hard, went down a little bit too easily.

"Of course VAR would help the referee sometimes in some situations, but I'm not a big fan of it. Football is all about these situations.

How does VAR work?

"We all remember (Diego) Maradona heading the ball with his hand (against England in 1986) or Frank Lampard against Germany (at the 2010 World Cup).

"Those are things in football you need, it puts emotions on, you can write about it, the TV stations have something to talk about. I don't know if I like it."

Willian had no doubts it should have been a spot-kick - otherwise he says he would have scored.

The Brazil playmaker told Chelsea TV: "For me it was a penalty, 100 per cent. It was a little touch, but it was enough for me to go down. If not I'm going to score the goal."