Revealed: The HUGE reason why Eze's goal against Chelsea was disallowed

The Premier League opening match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace ended in a goalless 0-0 draw.

A spectacular free-kick goal by Eberechi Eze was disallowed after VAR intervention.

Let's examine the rule that led to the disallowed goal.

Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace have started the season strongly, first winning the Community Shield against Liverpool and then drawing away at Chelsea in the league.

The Eagles could have even snatched all three points, but Eze's 13th-minute goal was ruled out by VAR.

The reason for the disallowed goal was an infringement by a Palace player, who was standing too close to the Chelsea wall, violating the rules.

Referee Darren England, after reviewing the play, stated: "After review, the visiting team's number six was less than one meter from the wall during the free-kick. Therefore, it's an indirect free-kick and the goal is disallowed."

He explained that the goal was ruled out because Palace captain Marc Guehi was deemed to be standing "less than one metre away from the wall as the shot is taken."

According to football regulations, when three or more defenders form a wall, attacking players must be at least one meter away from the wall until the kick is taken.

This rule has been in effect since the 2019-20 season.

While some argued that Guehi’s push on Chelsea's Moises Caicedo was the issue, the referee's official explanation cited the one-metre infringement as the specific reason for the decision, awarding an indirect free-kick to Chelsea.

The decision has been met with significant backlash from fans and pundits alike, who feel it was an overly pedantic application of the rules.

On co-commentary for Sky Sports, former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton called the decision "scandalous" and "extremely harsh."

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner was equally surprised, stating after the game as reported by The Independent, "I was a little bit surprised because VAR is treated or handled very, very cautiously here in England, which I really appreciate."

While acknowledging the rule, Glasner warned that the Premier League must be careful with how it applies such laws, as similar infractions often go unpunished.

The incident has once again ignited a wider conversation about VAR's role in the game and whether it is, as some claim, "anti-goals" and too focused on minute details.