Premier League Referees’ Chief Admits VAR Errors in Recent Matches
Howard Webb Addresses Controversial Calls Involving Fulham and Crystal Palace
Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has acknowledged significant VAR misjudgments in recent matches, spotlighting two contentious decisions. During Fulham’s 2-0 loss at Chelsea on Saturday, 18-year-old Josh King had a potential first Premier League goal disallowed in the 21st minute after VAR official Michael Salisbury prompted referee Rob Jones to review a foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah. Webb, on the Premier League’s Match Officials Mic’d Up show, admitted, “It wasn’t controversial, it was wrong… That guidance wasn’t followed properly.” He explained that the high threshold for VAR intervention was ignored, as the contact was misjudged without full context, leading to Salisbury’s removal from Sunday’s Liverpool-Arsenal game. PGMOL conceded the error, aiming to minimize such incidents after reducing interventions compared to other European leagues.
Another flashpoint came when Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze saw a free-kick goal against Chelsea ruled out due to Marc Guéhi being within a metre of the defensive wall. Webb defended the call, noting, “There’s no doubt that Guéhi commits an offence… He physically manhandles Caicedo out of the way… creating a gap for the ball to go through.” The 2019 law change mandates attackers stay a metre from walls of three or more defenders, and Webb argued Guéhi’s action had a clear impact, justifying VAR’s intervention despite technical breaches without influence being overlooked elsewhere.
Both decisions sparked backlash, with Fulham’s Marco Silva calling the King disallowance “unbelievable.” Webb stressed ongoing efforts to refine officiating, recognizing the significant impact of errors and the league’s commitment to improvement.
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