David Moyes ‘embarrassed’ for Mike Dean and VAR officials as Tomas Soucek is controversially sent off for ‘elbow’ during West Ham’s draw with Fulham

A furious David Moyes was in disbelief at Tomas Soucek's sending off during West Ham's draw at Fulham - and he wasn’t the only one.

Saturday’s Premier League game at Craven Cottage was uneventful until stoppage-time when referee Mike Dean had a look at an incident involving Soucek and Aleksandar Mitrovic on the pitchside monitor.

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Replays show Soucek's elbow connect with Mitrovic's face, however, it appeared to be accidental as he tried to move his arm away, with the Fulham forward even defending his opponent.

But that's not the way referee Mike Dean or video assistant referee Lee Mason saw it and the man in the middle dismissed the Hammers midfielder from the field of play.

The decision to brandish a red card was met with firm opposition from players and pundits but none more so that West Ham boss Moyes, who is amazed the officials didn't see it as an accident.

He told talkSPORT: "I’m embarrassed for the people in VAR and the referees who have made that decision.

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"The two gentlemen involved, Mike Dean and Lee Mason, are far better referees than that and have been far better referees.

"I’m amazed they hadn’t seen that as anything other than an accident. What can I say? It’s completely accidental, no malice. He tried to keep him away but catches him accidentally."

The two officials were also involved in another controversial decision earlier this week, when Dean sent off Southampton's Jan Bednarek during a 9-0 defeat by Manchester United, with the club launching a successful appeal that saw the red card rescinded.

"No, because I think both are good referees and have been throughout their careers," Moyes said when asked if the refereeing duo should work together.

"That worries me even more that they've made that decision tonight. I'm amazed they've even sent them to look at it.

"Even more amazed that Mike chose to do something with it. What can we do? I don't think anyone in football or football management are convinced by the rulings we're involved in."

West Ham are now facing the prospect of being without one of their star players for the next three matches, unless they make a successful appeal against the decision.

But Moyes suggested the club wouldn't attempt to get the red card rescinded.

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On whether West Ham would appeal, Moyes added: "I don’t know. You don’t win many appeals, do you?

"They’re always coming up with an excuse why the situation happened. I believe the two referees involved and that is not like them to make that decision.

"I’m amazed VAR even asked to look at it. But you’ve asked me six questions on it and I’ve answered them all and it just shows everyone’s more interested in the refereeing decisions than the football."