Jamie Carragher slams Max Kilman incident in West Ham v Newcastle.
Credit: Sky Sports
Danny Wright
Tue 11 March 2025 6:40, UK
Maximilian Kilman was forced to defend himself on Sky Sports after West Ham were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle at the London Stadium on Monday night.
Bruno Guimaraes scored the only goal of the Premier League game in the 63rd minute after he latched onto a clever ball into the Hammers’ box by Harvey Barnes.
However, while trying to head away Barnes’ aerial pass into Guimaraes, West Ham defender Kilman went to ground after being pushed in the back by Alexander Isak.
West Ham, Max Kilman
Kilman felt he was pushed down to the ground by Isak. (Credit: Imago)
Jamie Carragher accuses Kilman of theatrics in West Ham defeat
Michael Salisbury allowed Guimaraes’ goal to stand and after checking the incident, VAR Alex Chilowicz stood by the referee’s on-field decision.
After the game, Jamie Carragher watched over the incident again and he firmly believes that there was insufficient contact from Isak for Kilman to go over in the manner that he did.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
“There’s obviously contact but I don’t think it’s a foul,” said Carragher on Sky Sports Main Event on Monday night (10:15pm, 10 March).
West Ham Stat Newcastle
51% Possession 49%
9 (2) Shots (on target) 9 (3)
19 Touches in box 28
7 Fouls 15
50 Duels won 42
West Ham v Newcastle match stats
“There’s definitely a tough there from Isak, you see. It’s just a little touch, a hand on the back and he goes over so theatrically.”
Dave Jones asked Carragher if a push in mid-air would knock Kilman off balance. The Liverpool legend replied: “Of course, if you give him a nudge it means he’s going to be off balance a little bit.
“Listen, I’m a defender and I’d be very disappointed if that was a goal for our team that was chalked off because of that.”
Isak pushes Kilman in the back. (Credit: Sky Sports)
Kilman responds to Carragher comments
Former Southampton Russell Martin agreed with Carragher, but after seeing more replays, started to see how it could have been a foul on Kilman.
Sky Sports then interviewed the West Ham defender and, when asked whether he was pushed by Isak, he said: “Yes, 100 per cent.
“I jumped in the air, I felt a hard push.
“I’m an honest player, I wasn’t looking for anything.
“It was a foul that should have been given but that’s football in the end and you have to move on.”
West Ham’s appeals against Salisbury’s decision to allow the goal to stand were rather muted but had the referee blown up for a foul on Kilman, it could have been a different story.
It’s likely that VAR decided to stand by Salisbury because it wasn’t a clear and obvious error.
Isak did push into Kilman’s back but it’s likely that the way the defender went down – seemingly looking for a foul from the referee when he realised he couldn’t reach Barnes’ ball into the box – didn’t do him any favours.
Maybe players need to start looking at their own actions instead of looking to woo the referee with a swan dive that Tom Daley would be proud of.
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