Former England captain Wayne Rooney has claimed West Ham United defender Max Kilman should be serving a suspension ahead of this weekend's crucial Premier League encounter with Liverpool.
Controversial Decision at Vitality Stadium
The controversy stems from West Ham's 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, where Kilman gave away a 69th-minute penalty for handball. The £40 million centre-back committed to a slide tackle and was deemed to have deliberately moved his right hand toward the ball, resulting in Marcus Tavernier converting the spot-kick to begin Bournemouth's comeback.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola expressed fury after the match, stating he "cannot understand the referee decision to not send him off." Iraola added: "If that is not a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, I don't know what is. It is the clearest chance you can give to a number nine."
Rooney's Match of the Day Verdict
Analysing the incident on BBC's Match of the Day, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney concurred with Iraola's assessment. "He's very lucky," Rooney declared. "I think he gets himself in a position where he's trying to cover and he slides past the player. You see a movement with his right hand towards the ball and it's a penalty, and it has to be a red card, he's six yards out. It's a clear goal scoring opportunity."
Rooney expressed bewilderment at the decision, adding: "It baffles me that that's not a red card." A straight red would have automatically ruled Kilman out of West Ham's upcoming fixture against Liverpool at the London Stadium.
Kilman's Performance Under Scrutiny
The incident capped a disappointing afternoon for Kilman, who was rated just 4/10 by Claret and Hugh for his performance. The defensive analysis noted that despite showing some good skill dribbling out of defence and making a vital header off the line, his "ridiculous handball" gave Bournemouth their penalty and he appeared "too weak" for Bournemouth's equaliser.
Remarkably, the 26-year-old has never received a red card throughout his 260-game professional career, having played every minute of West Ham's league campaign this season after his summer move from Wolves.
Nuno's Resilience and Liverpool Challenge
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo acknowledged his team's second-half struggles at Bournemouth but emphasised their resilience. "The boys were organised but were missing the pass to go out of pressure," he said. "The positive is that I think the team was resilient, was organised, was compact and was really committed."
The Hammers now face Liverpool on Sunday afternoon riding a three-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League, though they'll be grateful to have their first-choice defender available despite the controversy surrounding his availability.
