Hughes upset with lack of VAR after Southampton´s FA Cup loss

Mark Hughes felt VAR should have been used to award Southampton a goal and a penalty during their FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea on Sunday.

Second-half goals from Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata sent Antonio Conte’s men into the final for the second year in a row, with Manchester United awaiting.

Hughes was frustrated with the decision to disallow a Southampton goal with the score at 1-0, when Willy Caballero spilled the ball into his own net after a challenge from Charlie Austin.

Referee Martin Atkinson was quick to award a foul against Austin without appearing to consult VAR, with Hughes also pointing to a possible Giroud handball as evidence his side did not get the rub of the green at Wembley.

“We’re disappointed obviously, in the first half we didn’t affect them as much as we talked about but we were pleased to go in at 0-0 at half-time as they had chances,” Hughes told BT Sport.

“[After] coming out and going behind early [in the second half], the response was good. We are disappointed with the nature of the goal and we should’ve done better and cleared it.

“We needed a response and got that. We had no luck, the keeper made a glaring mistake and miscontrolled it. I assumed VAR was in operation and it was a clear opportunity or situation to review and get it correct.

“Clearly, they didn’t. I don’t know how they make a key decision that quick, I don’t know if the referee gets information in his ear, but Charlie has done nothing wrong and it should have reviewed. There was also a clear handball by Giroud from the following corner, so we feel hard done by.”

Great effort today from everyone involved with @SouthamptonFC fans were superb we just come up short today, was it a foul I’m not sure… var 

— Charlie Austin (@chazaustin10) April 22, 2018

Southampton have four fixtures left to save their Premier League status with a four-point gap to make up on Swansea City, who they face in the penultimate match of the campaign.

“The second half was more like we needed to be,” Hughes added. “Huge game next weekend [at home to Bournemouth].

“[We have] disappointment now because we wanted to progress, but we have to put it behind us and move on for next week.”

2 – Mark Hughes is just the second manager to be eliminated from the FA Cup as manager of two Premier League teams (Stoke and Southampton) in a single season, after Glenn Hoddle in 2000-01 with Southampton and Spurs. Magic? pic.twitter.com/kSzVE8j1FS

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 22, 2018