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This was an FA Cup tie that involved a genuine shock and a commanding display by England’s record goalscorer on his second display for a Championship club but, ultimately, it will be remembered for a potentially pivotal moment in the use of VAR in this country.
A little over an hour of the contest had been played and Derby were 1-0 up thanks to Chris Martin’s goal on 32 minutes when a melee broke out at the far side of the pitch. It was sparked by an off-the-ball tussle between Luka Milivojević and Tom Huddlestone that led to both players being booked by the referee, Michael Oliver. That appeared the end of that but then suddenly everyone in the ground was informed that a VAR check was occurring for a possible red card against Milivojević. It took an age, during which replays showed that Palace’s captain could well be in trouble given he twice kicked out at Huddlestone having fallen to the turf after colliding with the Derby midfielder.
More time passed, leading to the now common growing of frustration among those in attendance, and then, that most uncommon of sights – the referee checking the pitchside monitor. Oliver took a look and decided that, yes, Milivojević did deserve to be sent-off. A red card was shown and the hosts were now not only losing but also down to 10 men.
It is believed to be the first time an English referee has used the pitchside monitor since VAR officially came into use in this country at the start of this season, as it had been used in testing before in this country. It is something the PGMOL, the body in charge of Premier League refereeing, has actively discouraged, and there will many people in this country who will praise Oliver for going against protocol to show that using the monitor can, and does, lead to the right decision.
It was a big moment and one that ultimately ended Palace’s hopes of getting back into this contest. Having fallen behind as a consequence of their increasing passivity during the first half, the hosts played with greater tempo and aggression after the interval and twice went close to equalising, through James McCarthy and Connor Wickham. But then Milivojević was sent off the wind well and truly went out of their sails
For Derby it was a third win in a row and a huge one given the team that sits 17th in the Championship not only overcame the one that currently sits ninth in the Premier League but came about after manager Phillip Cocu made nine changes to the side that beat Barnsley in their previous fixture. One of the two players who stayed in the team was Wayne Rooney, who played with a level of assurance that suggests his return to competitive action in this country could be some swansong for an English football icon.
Against Barnsley on Thursday, on what has been his debut for Derby, Rooney started at the tip of a midfield diamond. Here he played alongside Huddlestone – who was making his first appearance in three months having been sidelined with a hamstring injury – as part of a two-man midfield, but the 34-year-old’s brief was largely the same; to get on the ball as often as possible, which initially led to pantomime-like boos from the home supporters. His touch was sharp and authoritative yet also rare during the early stages as Palace dominated possession.
The hosts also created the first chance of the game, a shot from Brandon Pierrick that followed a driving run into the area by the 18-year-old academy graduate and forced Kelle Roos into a smart save.
It felt like a matter of time until the Premier League side took the lead, especially as Derby were giving away a number of free-kicks in dangerous areas, something they have been guilty of all season, but instead the game settled down and became rather equal. Derby were seeing more of the ball, Rooney and Huddlestone especially, and on 19 minutes the visitors had their first chance, a shot from highly-rated 18-year-old Louie Sibley, that curled just wide of the post.
Rooney was increasingly dictating affairs and twice in two minutes he executed two excellent straight passes that would have resulted in a Derby goal had the recipients, Martin and Sibley, shown more composure in possession.
No matter as on 32 minutes, the visitors did take the lead. Following patient build-up play by those in white and black, Jayden Bogle whipped an excellent delivery into the Palace area, one that had enough pace and direction to evade the whole of the home team’s defence and find Martin at the back post, who sent the ball past Wayne Hennessey with the outside of his right boot.
It was the striker’s fifth goal of the season and a blow for Palace, for whom things got worse moments later when Max Meyer was forced off with an injury, becoming potentially the 10th player who is unavailable for Roy Hodgson ahead of Saturday’s visit of Arsenal due to a knock, strain, bump or bruise.
Hodgson lost another player during the second half to a suspected injury – Jaïro Riedewald and, ultimately, this was an afternoon to forget for all concerned with Palace. For Derby it was quite the opposite, and they came close to doubling their lead in the closing stages after Martyn Waghorn, on as a substitute, hit the post with a fierce drive. No matter – they had won, thanks in part to a moment of VAR history.
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