Slaven Bilic: West Brom suffer yet again from wrong VAR call

A Darnell Furlong own-goal together with a Conor Gallagher strike ensured the scores were all-square following a keenly contested opening half-hour at The Hawthorns.

But Matheus Pereira was then given a red card after referee Paul Tierney judged the Brazilian had flicked his boot towards the chest of Patrick Van Aarnholt after he’d been fouled.

The official initially gave Pereira a yellow card - a decision that didn’t look to be a clear or obvious error as, after replays, it was hard to tell if there had been any intent in the flick.

Nevertheless, after being called to his monitor Tierney changed his mind and issued a straight red.

After that Albion looked to have two excellent shouts for penalties with Conor Townsend and Branislav Ivanovic fouled.

VAR, though, did not come to their rescue with Wilfied Zaha and Christian Benteke going on to net braces as Palace ran out 5-1 winners.

"The red card, for me, he (Pereira) gave an option,” Bilic said.

“For me if the referee saw it the more you watch it the less it is a red card.

“Maybe there's a little contact. I would say a reaction is there but it wasn't a kick.

“But did he give them an option to give a red card? Yes he did. You can't do it.

"I'm not happy with the way we collapsed at 2-1, you can't do that.

“But for us to be competitive and be strong we need all of them on the pitch.

"After the second goal, especially after the third goal, it became too easy for them. It was too easy, we didn't mark, everybody was relying on their team mate to do the job.”

Albion’s miss-fortune was compounded by the fact they arguably should have had two penalties.

Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita clattered into Branislav Ivanovic just before the break.

Then shortly after the interval, Gallagher was bundled to the floor by Gary Cahill.

And for Bilic, Gallagher was fouled with the boss believing Kyle Bartley gave away a free-kick in the build to Palace’s first goal for a lot less.

“It’s a foul on Conor,” Bilic continued.

“The foul (which led to a free-kick) from which they scored the first goal, that is less of a foul than the one on Conor Gallagher.

“Conor is very clever. He put his body there and Cahill didn’t slow down, he went in full speed and gets nowhere near the ball.

“Conor protected the ball and he gets hit from behind, for me it was a penalty.

“That was after the red card and, for me, its another key moment because they scored their second one a minute later.

The VAR calls that went against the Baggies at The Hawthorns follow on from decisions that also went against them at Everton and Manchester United.

And Bilic admitted it feels as though every call is going against his side.

“At the moment everything that goes to VAR is against us - everything,” the boss added.

“The first time was Everton, their first goal - no foul.

“Everything is going against us. Am I happy about that, no.

“Everytime VAR gets called we are on the wrong side of the decision.”