Disallowing Fulham Goal At Chelsea Was Wrong, Admits Referees’ Chief Howard Webb

Howard Webb, England’s main refereeing officer, has described nan determination to disallow Josh King’s extremity against Chelsea arsenic a “misjudgement” by nan lucifer officials.

King appeared to person scored a first convention extremity for Fulham successful Saturday’s derby astatine Stamford Bridge but his effort was ruled retired aft nan referee, Robert Jones, was asked to spell to nan pitchside show aft a cheque by nan video adjunct referee.

The extremity was controversially chalked disconnected because his teammate Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to person stepped connected Trevoh Chalobah’s ft while turning pinch nan ball. Michael Salisbury was past stood down arsenic nan VAR charismatic for Sunday’s gathering betwixt Liverpool and Arsenal.

Webb, nan main refereeing serviceman astatine Professional Game Match Officials, told nan Match Officials Mic’d Up programme: “It wasn’t controversial, it was wrong. We’ve established immoderate principles successful position of really we officiate successful nan Premier League and really we usage VAR. They beryllium astir a precocious period for penalising contact, aiding nan flow, hit and tempo of nan game. We’ve besides established a precocious barroom for involution pinch VAR.

“In different words, if situations are not intelligibly incorrect and nan referee has made a telephone connected nan field, that telephone will guidelines aliases astatine slightest should stand. That’s nan connection we springiness to each of our VARs, peculiarly erstwhile we travel to taking distant goals that are evidently a important infinitesimal successful nan game. We should only beryllium taking goals distant erstwhile nan grounds is very clear that’s nan only point we tin do and that’s nan guidance we springiness to our officials.

“In this situation, that guidance wasn’t followed properly. There was a misjudgement by nan officials progressive successful this business astir really that interaction happened betwixt Muniz and Chalobah. The officials sewage super-focused connected that contact, without looking astatine nan afloat discourse of really it happened.

“It happens erstwhile Muniz is successful possession of nan ball, controls nan ball, turns people and brings his ft down connected to Chalobah, who’s moved his ft into a abstraction which nan Fulham subordinate has nan correct to put his ft into successful that normal way.”