Fulham`s manager, Marco Silva, was visibly frustrated with the fourth official after a substitution mix-up occurred during their 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth. The incident saw the wrong Fulham player being substituted off.
Due to an unusual administrative error, Ryan Sessegnon was 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 manager Marco Silva made a triple substitution, bringing on Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez, and Tom Cairney.
Viewers watching at home witnessed Sessegnon, Sander Berge, and Rodrigo Muniz being replaced by the trio at the Vitality Stadium.
However, these substitutions took an unusually long time – over five minutes. Referee Michael Oliver even approached the technical area to understand the delay.
It was later revealed that Fulham did not intend to substitute Sessegnon, but due to an error, they were forced to.
Silva expressed his clear displeasure about the situation from the touchline, directing his frustration towards fourth official Tim Robinson. It remains unclear which player Silva intended to substitute instead of Sessegnon.
Premier League regulations state that once a player is substituted, they are not permitted to return to the match.
A commentator noted that the substitution board initially indicated Ryan Sessegnon`s name, suggesting an administrative error led to the wrong player being subbed.
Bournemouth`s victory came thanks to Antoine Semenyo`s impressive early goal, scored within the first minute of play.
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Earlier in the game, Evanilson of Bournemouth hit the post from close range in the 17th minute.
Sessegnon himself had a significant opportunity to equalize just before halftime, but missed a header.
Ultimately, Silva`s substitutions were unable to change the scoreline, and Bournemouth`s victory pushed them past Fulham in the league standings, placing them eighth.
This win marked Bournemouth`s first victory in nine games across all competitions, boosting their hopes for a European Conference League spot for next season.
