AliousCrystal Palace F.C. were left disappointed after a goal by Ismaila Sarr was disallowed for a very tight offside during their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.
The moment came when Sarr fired a shot that took a deflection past Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and ended up in the far corner of the net. The assistant referee initially allowed the goal to stand, but it was later reviewed by VAR.
After examining the footage, officials ruled that Sarr was marginally offside. The replay showed that a small part of his head — specifically his forehead — was ahead of Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven when the ball was played.
The Premier League Match Centre later explained the decision on X, stating that VAR had checked the on-field call and concluded that Sarr was in an offside position, leading to the goal being ruled out.
The decision quickly sparked criticism from commentators. Former Tottenham goalkeeper Joe Hart questioned the ruling during coverage on TNT Sports, suggesting the offside call did not look convincing.
Lead commentator Sam Matterface added that Palace manager Oliver Glasner appeared to be arguing that Sarr had been ruled offside by the smallest possible margin — joking that it was essentially “by his nose.”
Hart also made light of the situation, humorously noting that some players with larger noses might frequently be caught offside under such tight interpretations.
The incident reignited debate among fans and analysts about the use of VAR and the controversy surrounding extremely marginal offside calls in the Premier League.
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