PGMOL chief Howard Webb has admitted officials made a “misjudgement” in disallowing Josh King’s goal for Fulham during their 2-0 defeat at Chelsea last weekend, reigniting debate around VAR’s role in the Premier League.
The 18-year-old striker thought he had put the Cottagers ahead in the 22nd minute at Stamford Bridge, only for the effort to be ruled out after a lengthy review. VAR intervened to highlight a foul in the build-up, with Rodrigo Muniz judged to have stepped on Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah’s foot while turning near the halfway line.
Referee Michael Salisbury disallowed the goal following the review, leaving Fulham boss Marco Silva furious on the touchline. “It was unbelievable,” he said afterwards. Chelsea capitalised on the reprieve, with Joao Pedro’s header and an Enzo Fernandez penalty sealing victory for the hosts.
The penalty decision itself was also contentious, adding to Silva’s frustration. “I can’t remember a worse VAR performance,” the Portuguese coach fumed, hinting at double standards in officiating.
VAR under the microscope
The fallout prompted Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to remove Salisbury from VAR duties for Liverpool’s clash with Arsenal on Sunday. On Tuesday, Webb addressed the controversy directly on Match Officials Mic’d Up, the Premier League’s review programme which analyses refereeing calls.
“It wasn’t controversial, it was wrong,” Webb said bluntly. “We’ve established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR. They sit around a high threshold for penalising contact, aiding the flow, rhythm and tempo of the game. We’ve also established a high bar for intervention with VAR.”
According to Webb, those principles were not followed. “Officials should only be taking goals away when the evidence is very clear. In this situation, that guidance wasn’t applied properly. There was a misjudgement by the officials involved in how that contact happened between Muniz and Chalobah. They got super focused on the contact, without looking at the full context of how it happened.”
Growing concerns from managers
The decision marked the second time in as many home games that Chelsea had benefited from a VAR intervention. On the opening weekend, Eberechi Eze’s free-kick for Crystal Palace was disallowed in a 0-0 draw when teammate Marc Guehi was deemed to have interfered with the defensive wall.
Other managers have begun voicing their unease at the growing influence of VAR. Burnley boss Scott Parker warned at the weekend that the technology is at risk of sterilising the spectacle of football. “VAR decisions are threatening to turn football into the most sterile game there is,” Parker said.
Despite mounting criticism, Webb insisted the technology remains an essential tool. “We’ve done really well in the last 18 months or so to reduce our involvement, with respect to the referee’s call,” he argued. “We’ve seen fewer interventions in the Premier League than in any other major league in Europe. We need to continue doing that.”
Striving for improvement
Still, Webb acknowledged that when mistakes occur, the damage is significant. “We understand the importance of these decisions. We understand that if we get it wrong, as we did on this occasion, the impact is huge. We’re always striving to do better.”
The former World Cup final referee has made greater transparency a priority since taking over as PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer. The launch of Mic’d Up last year was part of efforts to give fans and clubs more insight into how decisions are reached.
But while openness has been welcomed, errors like Fulham’s disallowed goal demonstrate the fine line officials tread between consistency and controversy. With managers, players, and supporters demanding accountability, Webb and his team face a constant balancing act: allowing referees to manage games while ensuring VAR delivers on its promise to correct only the most obvious mistakes.
For Fulham and Josh King, the admission of error will offer little consolation. What might have been a breakthrough moment for the teenager instead became the spark for another storm around VAR, one that shows no sign of calming.
