At least until a final whistle was blown at Anfield with Albion’s 2025-26 campaign technically already over anyway.
Danny Welbeck’s finish from a Kaoru Mitoma’s through ball to restore the lead at Fuham brought the house down in the Putney End at Craven Cottage.
It came just after the hosts had equalised and then had one cleared off the line and was brilliantly worked, with enough build-up to raise expectation and that growing noise that sounds like a collective "go on" before the finish was expertly applied.
The ball rolled in so slowly, the commentators could give it a proper "Welbeeeeeeck!"
It should have been – and briefly was – one of the best moments of the season.
Danny Welbeck celebrates before discovering his goal was offside uring the Premier League match between Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion at the Craven Cottage stadium , London , UK - 24th January 2026 Photo Simon Dack Editorial use only. No merchandising. For Football images FA and Premier League restrictions apply inc. no internet/mobile usage without FAPL license - for details contact Football DatacoDanny Welbeck's celebration was cut short (Image: Simon Dack)
And then, after a VAR review, it was snatched away for an offside which looked very tight to non-existent.
It was calculated as 2cm offside but even then there was some debate over whether that measurement was taken at the exact split-second the ball left Mitoma’s boot.
Now, findings published by the BBC suggest Albion would have finished one place higher in the table and qualified for the Europa League without VAR.
Bournemouth would have reached the Champions League with Sunderland dropping to tenth.
Albion would have had three more points.
It is all a little simplistic. What the study cannot fully take into account is whether matches would have been officiated differently, or even played differently, without the cameras.
Would referees have made exactly the same decisions without the back-up reference to Stockley Park?
Do flags always go up when the assistant is convinced of an offside or is it also when there is a potential offside to look at?
But the findings give another example of the talking point - putting it kindly – VAR has become and the fine margins in the league this season.
The BBC study shows Arsenal would have won the league by two points, rather than seven, from Manchester City.
Danny Welbeck scores at Fulham but VAR ruled he was 2cm offside (Image: Simon Dack)
But would City have lost at home to Aston Villa had they gone into that final match one point clear at the top?
The same three teams would have gone down but Crystal Palace rather than Spurs would have been perched just above the dotted line.
There is also an argument that a non-VAR table is a table showing more incorrect decisions.
Albion had one key VAR decision go for them and five against, making a nett tally of minus four.
No team had a bigger negative in that respect.
Sunderland had what looked an opening goal ruled out against the Seagulls at the Stadium of Light following a VAR offside check.
The final decision was clearly correct, the video system did its job, and Albion took full advantage when Yankuba Minteh scored their winner.
There is an argument the assistant on the touchline should have seen the offside anyway.
But Albion will take some convincing justice was done in that moment at Craven Cottage.