.Fulham of England midfielder, Alex Iwobi has spoken in defence of his compatriot and clubmate, Samuel Chukwueze, saying his pal was wrongly ruled offside on the club’s goal that was disallowed last weekend, Sports247 reports.
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Controversy was unleashed during Sunday’s dramatic 3-2 loss of The Cottagers to Manchester United, as Chukwueze, who had been planning to dedicate a goal to his late mum, was blamed for Fulham’s effort that was ruled out.
In the wake of the controversial decision by the match referee, who chalked off Jorge Cuenca’s effort because he felt Chukwueze was marginally offside, Iwobi insists his pal was onside and the goal should have stood.
Iwobi’s verdict came few hours before Fulham’s media unit announced that Chukwueze’s stunner against Brighton & Hove Albion had been nominated for the club’s January Goal of the Month award.
His nominated effort came in The Cottagers’ 2-1 win over Brighton, after the 26-year-old product of Diamond Football Academy of Umuahia struck a 72nd minute sizzler after controlling Joachim Andersen’s precise pass.
He will, however, have to edge aside seven other players – Tom Cairney, Jade Bradley, Harrison Reed, Aaron Loupalo-Bi, Kevin Farhaan, and Ali Wahid – who are also in contention for the award.
It is another step forward for the former Villarreal of Spain forward, who has soared since arriving in England on loan from AC Milan of Italy last summer, having netted five goals and two assists in 11 EPL appearances.
“It was a good game; we’d done well to get back into the game. Before that, VAR had done us dirty. It kind of saved us because they didn’t get a pen, but Samuel’s arm. I don’t know if he was offside,” Iwobi pondered.
