Chelsea's late equalizer against Bournemouth, scored by Reece James, has been marred in controversy after it emerged that the goal "should not have stood". The Blues were trailing 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, but James' 90th-minute strike appeared to have salvaged a point for the home side. 

However, replays suggested that James was in an offside position when he received the pass from Hakim Ziyech. The Bournemouth players were furious, and their protests were waved away by the referee, who awarded the goal.

According to former Premier League referee, Dermot Gallagher, the goal should not have stood. Gallagher, who was analyzing the game on Sky Sports, stated that James was clearly offside and that the linesman had made an error.

"The linesman has got it wrong," Gallagher said. "Reece James is clearly offside. He's beyond the last defender, and he's interfering with play. It's a clear offside, and the goal should not have stood."

Gallagher's assessment was echoed by other pundits and fans, who took to social media to express their outrage. The controversy has sparked a heated debate about the use of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in the Premier League.

The incident has also raised questions about the consistency of refereeing decisions in the Premier League. Chelsea's equalizer has been widely criticized, and many are calling for the introduction of a more robust VAR system to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Furthermore, the controversy surrounding the goal has highlighted the need for referees to be more accountable for their decisions. The Premier League has introduced various measures to improve refereeing standards, but incidents like this suggest that more needs to be done.

For Bournemouth, the decision was a bitter pill to swallow. The Cherries had worked hard to earn a 1-0 lead, and the late equalizer denied them a valuable three points. The controversy surrounding the goal will only add to their frustration.

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Richard Assan

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