Two refereeing experts unanimously agreed that Christian Pulisic’s 57th-minute goal for AC Milan against Sassuolo was wrongly disallowed for a minimal push by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a decision that ultimately cost the club two crucial points.
AC Milan dropped crucial points against Sassuolo after conceding a late equalizer in their Serie A fixture, but the result was marred by a controversial disallowed goal.
Christian Pulisic netted a 57th-minute rebound to make it 3-1, only for the referee to rule it out for a supposed foul in the buildup. The quick restart meant no VAR check was possible, leaving Milan frustrated.
The strike was invalidated for an alleged push by Ruben Loftus-Cheek on a Sassuolo defender before the shot. Refereeing expert Luca Marelli agreed the call was incorrect, stating: “It leaves a lot of doubts… In my opinion, this goal shouldn’t have been disallowed.”
He noted the foul was below the threshold for a whistle, especially considering the referee’s generally lenient approach.
Another expert, Denis of Errori Arbitrali, reinforced the consensus that the goal should have counted. He analyzed the incident, finding the minimal contact insufficient to warrant the foul call.
He concluded that the opposing player fell too easily: “It’s not enough to disallow the goal because of that contact,” arguing the decision directly contributed to Milan failing to secure the victory.