Howe admits Bournemouth fell apart after VAR decision

Eddie Howe admitted Bournemouth “fell apart a little bit mentally” after being denied an equaliser and simultaneously having a penalty awarded against them by VAR in their 3-0 loss to Burnley.

The Cherries saw Joshua King’s first half effort chalked off after a suspected handball against Philip Billing after the ball came off his shoulder, before Matej Vydra scored following the break to give the hosts the advantage.

Harry Wilson’s equaliser after a counterattack was then ruled out by VAR and a penalty to Burnley awarded for Adam Smith’s handball which Jay Rodriguez converted, while Dwight McNeil added a sublime third before full-time.

And after having a second goal disallowed when the score could have been 1-1, Howe hopes the events at Turf Moor helps to create a siege mentality in their quest to beat the drop.

“I think it’s so difficult for the players today. It was too much in the latter stage of the game once the VAR decision, the second one happened, I thought we fell apart a little bit mentally and then Burnley came into the game,” Howe said.

“But I think up until that point, we’d been the better team and the difference of 1-1 and 2-0 is huge and I just don’t think we recovered from that moment.

“I think if that (the first VAR decision) one doesn’t get given, I don’t think the second one gets given either, because is that a clear and obvious error from Mike Dean? I’m not sure it is – it’s so grey. Who knows where that hit, only Adam Smith knows.

“The only positive I can give is we have to look at this as extra fuel, extra motivation that things can be perceived to be going against you, but we have to use it to create a siege mentality, to create a mentality that is everyone against us in our pursuit to stay in the division.”

Clarets boss Sean Dyche, whose side sit eighth in the Premier League, said: “It’s a strange day for VAR – a tough day for VAR in a different way. That one is the toughest it gets though, because if I’m part of their side – the staff, the players, the fans – that’s a tough one.

“But I don’t think that’ll happen many times where you literally have the decision there and they go and score 45 seconds later or whatever.

“Second half, we did get to grips with them and the momentum of the wind kind of added to that, but I thought we looked stronger in the second half in everything – our defensive shape, the details and then of course chance wise, that’s a high chance count.”