PGMOL Chief Slams VAR After Chelsea Win

Former referee Howard Webb has admitted that Fulham were wrongfully denied a goal in their 2-0 English Premier League defeat to Chelsea last Saturday, 30 August.

Cottagers midfielder Josh King appeared to have given the visitors the lead in the 21st minute, but referee Robert Jones ruled it out after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review deemed that Rodrigo Muniz had fouled Blues defender, Trevoh Chalobah, in the build-up.

Webb, a technical director for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), later conceded that the officials had made an error. He stressed that referees should only overturn goals when the evidence is “very clear.”

The 54-year-old former footballing official told a local football news outlet: “It wasn’t controversial, it was wrong.” He then mentioned the high standards set for VAR usage, before adding: “In this situation, that guidance wasn’t followed properly.”

Fulham manager Marco Silva branded the decision “unbelievable”, while defender Antonee Robinson criticised the standard of officiating the following day via his Instagram account, calling it “shocking.”

Chelsea went on to secure victory with goals by Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez, but the controversy has reignited scrutiny of VAR, with Webb acknowledging the significant impact of such mistakes.

Image Credit: Source