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David Moyes has a fiery history of taking his sides to Chelsea
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s 08:00, 13 Dec 2025
David Moyes returns to Stamford Bridge this afternoon, three years after his famous outburst at Premier League officials. The Scot takes his Everton side to the capital knowing a win could leapfrog Chelsea into fourth place.
However, west London has not always been a happy hunting ground for the Everton boss. In September 2022 he furiously blasted referee Andy Madley while he was manager of West Ham.
Michail Antonio struck first for the Hammers, before Ben Chilwell scored one and set Kai Havertz for the eventual winner. However, Maxwell Cornet had the ball in the net for the visitors in the 90th minute, seemingly securing a famous draw.
But Madley was sent to the monitor by VAR Jarred Gillet to look at the goal again for a challenge on Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy by Jarrod Bowen. The referee ruled out the goal after looking at the monitor which left Moyes absolutely seething.
At the time, he told Sky Sports: "It is a scandalous decision, absolutely rotten from one of the supposedly elite referees. It doesn't say much about whoever sent him over from VAR as well. It is an unbelievable decision against us.
"The goalkeeper comes to take it and fumbles it out of his hands. Then he acted as if it was a shoulder injury. I'm amazed that VAR sent the referee to the screen. It was a ridiculously bad decision.
"Today there is no excuse for that not to be a goal, none whatsoever. The sad thing is that this is the level of our elite refereeing at the moment.
"They've got new people in charge who are trying to do something. I've lost faith in them today in the people who are putting up for VAR. After watching it, I can't see how the goal was not given. The referees said they were going to cut back on soft challenges and that was unbelievably soft.
"Referees can make mistakes. I do not see that in a million years. I'm more embarrassed for the guy in VAR than the referee because that's telling me someone who doesn't understand football and shouldn't be near the game if that is enough to put someone near the screen."
Then-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel - who now manages England - wasn't in agreement with Moyes' outburst after the game. He said: "There's a reason it went in our favour. I don't know if everyone shares the opinion - it's a foul. The goal that we conceded in very similar in the build-up to the situation at Tottenham."
Moyes will want to avoid any similar VAR controversy as his team fights for a shock Champions League position. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca will be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Atalanta in midweek, which stretched Chelsea's winless run to four games.
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