Fulham`s manager, Marco Silva, expressed his anger towards the fourth official after an error resulted in the incorrect player being substituted during their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth.
Due to an administrative mistake, Ryan Sessegnon was unexpectedly substituted in the 57th minute as part of a planned triple substitution.
Bournemouth took an early 1-0 lead within the first minute of the game. To try and equalize, Fulham`s manager brought on Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez, and Tom Cairney as substitutes.
Initially, it appeared to viewers that these three players were replacing Sessegnon, Sander Berge, and Rodrigo Muniz.
The substitution process was unusually lengthy, taking over five minutes, which prompted referee Michael Oliver to inquire about the delay.
It was later revealed that Fulham had not intended to substitute Sessegnon, but due to the mistake, they were forced to remove him.
Silva was visibly upset by the situation and argued with the fourth official, Tim Robinson, on the sideline. It remains unclear which player Silva wanted to substitute instead of Sessegnon.
After the match, Silva commented, “We had enough time to correct it, and I attempted to do so. However, the decision was made against correcting it. The fourth official seemed confused throughout the match.”
According to Premier League regulations, once a player is substituted, they cannot return to the game.
A commentator mentioned that the substitution board initially showed Ryan Sessegnon`s name, but Fulham`s technical staff indicated he was not meant to be substituted.
Fulham conceded a goal early in the game to Antoine Semenyo within the first minute. Later, Evanilson of Bournemouth hit the post in the 17th minute.
Sessegnon had an opportunity to equalize just before halftime with a header but missed.
Ultimately, Fulham`s substitutions could not secure an equalizing goal, resulting in Bournemouth overtaking Fulham in the league standings.
This victory was Bournemouth`s first win in nine games, bringing them back into contention for a European Conference League spot.
