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David Moyes rejected the notion that the FA Cup is the greatest cup competition in the world, calling it “absurd,” after West Ham was eliminated by Bristol City.
The Hammers lost their third-round replay 1-0 after Said Benrahma was sent off for reacting foolishly to Joe Williams’ 51st-minute challenge.
The use of VAR was not implemented at Ashton Gate, despite being utilized in the previous match at London Stadium nine days prior, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Moyes believed that referee Darren England correctly decided to eject Benrahma, but the Scottish coach was dissatisfied with Williams’ tackle on the Algerian player and a few other events during the match.
West Ham manager Moyes expressed disbelief at the inconsistent use of VAR in what is supposed to be considered the top cup competition globally.
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I think it’s absurd that they are attempting to assert this, but it’s not fair for all clubs.
“If we don’t use VAR, then it should not be used in the tournament at all. But if we are going to use it, then it should be implemented consistently.”
West Ham were behind due to Tommy Conway’s early goal when Benrahma was sent off at the beginning of the second half.
“It definitely made it much more challenging,” Moyes commented on attempting to orchestrate a turnaround.
After reviewing the situation, I do not believe we have grounds for complaint. The response was not appropriate and resulted in a sending-off.
I was uncertain about the tackle on him. It may have been debatable. During the game, I thought it was quite a forceful challenge.
I am uncertain if the referee responded quickly enough to address the initial confrontation, which led to another event occurring. Additionally, there was also a poor challenge on Danny Ings that was not properly addressed.
Moyes expressed disappointment in the loss, stating that his team should have performed better and secured a win at London Stadium.
“In cup competitions, even if you’re not performing at your peak, you may end up being eliminated.”
Bristol City, ranked 14th in the Sky Bet Championship, took advantage of their opponents’ absences of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Michail Antonio, and Mohammed Kudus for different reasons.
Liam Manning, manager of the Robins, stated that the team’s performance was consistently excellent throughout the two legs.
Starting strong has its advantages, but it can also be risky to become too focused on protecting a one-goal lead.
We displayed courage in our efforts to play and apply pressure. We made an effort to maintain an offensive stance and overall, our performance was exceptional.
I was extremely pleased with the team because we were able to sustain the necessary level of concentration against such tough opponents.
Bristol City will host either Blackpool or Nottingham Forest in the fourth round.
Source: independent.co.uk
