Was James Trafford fouled in the build-up to Luton’s late equaliser (Photo: Getty)
Vincent Kompany was left ‘frustrated’ with VAR after they failed to disallow Luton Town’s controversial late equaliser against Burnley on Friday night.
In a huge game at the bottom of the Premier League table, Burnley thought they had secured a precious three points thanks to Zeki Amdouni’s first-half strike.
However, Luton grabbed a stoppage time equaliser after Carlton Morris headed in Alfie Doughty’s cross to crush the hearts of the Turf Moor faithful.
There was much controversy surrounding the goal however as Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford had collided with Elijah Adebayo, preventing him from catching the ball before it reached Morris.
Even the Hatters players hesitated to celebrate the goal as they feared a foul would be given, but after a few minutes VAR allowed the goal to stand, much to the fury of the home side and their manager.
‘There was the softest penalty given against us at Aston Villa and we were already down to 10 men with two soft yellow cards,’ Kompany told TNT Sports.
‘It happened against Bournemouth where should have been a penalty. And it has happened again here, there is a clear attempt to stop the keeper from coming out. I thought they were incredible today but the moment there the referee has got to get it right.
‘I think any ex-pro understands what the striker [Adebayo] is doing in this case. First I expect the referee to see it, none of the Luton players have celebrated, the look of the striker is to the referee to see if he got away with it.
‘Remember we have just dropped points at Villa after an unbelievable performance and it keeps happening. We are a resilient team and I know about the culture. The players we will be ready to go again in the next game.
‘I don’t know how they [officials] communicate and there is an open line of communication, but I want people to understand how this is against my nature to complain against such things.
‘What I am going to tell them [players], what happened a couple of weeks ago and now and also earlier in the season I don’t have any more to say to them. The frustration is difficult to hide and digest, tomorrow I will look at what our team needs to do better.
‘Because for us what is going to happen is we will get a couple of lines in a newspaper, but we will not make the headlines and there are no consequences for no-one.’
Shortly after full-time, PGMOL stated that the goal stood as they deemed the foul to be just a ‘coming together’.
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Rio Ferdinand, on punditry duty for TNT Sports sympathised with Kompany, saying: ‘Elijah Adebayo does not go for the ball, it has to be a foul.
‘Trafford is disappointed, he thought he should have got a foul, there was contact.
‘I sympathise with him in a way. I think the way the game is officiated these days, the referee will blow up. Contact doesn’t always mean it’s going to be a foul.’
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‘The referees have to get it right!’