West Ham's Vladimir Coufal Decks Wolves Player With A Hidden Blade During Premier League Match
And it didn't even get him a yellow card!
Dec 18, 2023
Tony Khan may be Chief Football Strategy Officer for Fulham Football Club, but it is a player from one of their London rivals that has clearly been practicing his wrestling moves.
During West Ham United's Premier League match with Wolverhampton Wonderers on December 17, West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal caught Wolves' Jeanricner Bellegarde with an elbow akin to Will Ospreay's signature 'Hidden Blade'.
Despite the Video Assistant Referee checking for serious foul play, the Czech Republic international escaped punishment. He was, however, booked for a foul later in the game, as The Hammers recorded a 3-0 victory.
Commentators, pundits and fans were largely amazed that Coufal wasn't shown a card, considering how violent the elbow appeared to be. It is yet another incident that highlights the perceived inconsistency of officiating in England's top tier.
The Aerial Assassin himself commented on the incident via X, writing "Football players stealing the hidden blade" (followed by a laughing emoji).
Fulham (who are owned by Tony Khan's father Shad), meanwhile, suffered a 3-0 loss away to Newcastle United on Saturday and sit in eleventh place in the Premier League table.
