VAR Penalty
Howard Webb spoke about the decision involving William Saliba’s red card in Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to AFC Bournemouth, where VAR overturned the original yellow card given by the referee.
Howard Webb said “I think the yellow card that was issued by Rob Jones on the field was clearly and obviously wrong.”
Webb provided further insight into the decision-making process, explaining the positioning of players and the likelihood of a goal-scoring opportunity, which led to the intervention by VAR.
Howard Webb said “It’s a poor pass back by Leandro Trossard that puts Evanilson in and then Saliba grabs him. So suddenly from Arsenal having possession, the referees are faced with having to make a decision very quickly. Sometimes with DOGSO you have time to prepare your mind for what’s going to happen. Initially they believe that Ben White was closer than he actually was. And they also weren’t convinced that Evanilson would control the ball. Firstly, you can see that Ben White is a long way away. He’s not going to get to Evanlison from that position. And then secondly, they can see that David Raya is backing off and when the ball dies in front of Evanilson, even though it’s some distance from goal, he’s going to get on to that ball. He’s going to have time to gain nice control just for the goalkeeper to beat. So, for me, a good intervention by the VAR, are clear and obvious error in not showing a red card on the field.”
