Premier League clarify Howard Webb controversy after VAR phone call incident

Howard Webb was contiguous for Arsenal's nonaccomplishment astatine Bournemouth, which saw William Saliba sent-off, arsenic the referees main was seen connected his telephone arsenic VAR made their decision

The PGMOL person maintained that Howard Webb was listening to VAR audio during Arsenal's nonaccomplishment astatine Bournemouth amid conspiracy theories that helium was influencing decisions.

The Gunners were beaten for the archetypal clip this play arsenic they mislaid connected the southbound coast. With the crippled goalless successful the archetypal fractional the visiting broadside went down to 10 men erstwhile William Saliba was fixed a reddish card pursuing a situation arsenic the past man.

He bundled implicit Evanilson and VAR jumped successful to assistance referee Rob Jones marque the decision, with the authoritative heading implicit to the screen. Webb himself was successful the assemblage and was seen holding his telephone and listening to thing via an receptor piece.

Saliba did person his marching orders and it led to immoderate suggesting that Webb was making recommendations from the stands. That thought has rapidly been dismissed and the Premier League referees main was simply listening to the method by which the officials arrived astatine the decision.

Sky Sports commentators excessively are capable to perceive to that audio arsenic the referee and the VAR pass with presenter Dave Jones explaining their instrumentality successful the contiguous aftermath of the decision.

He said: "There person been 1 oregon 2 radical you mightiness person seen connected societal media speculating astir what Howard Webb was up to successful the crowd, the caput of the PGMOL. He's got that earpiece successful arsenic well, he's got his telephone out.

"But what we recognize helium is doing is listening to a lucifer provender of the VAR officials and their connection with the on-field officials, arsenic we bash arsenic broadcasters. But helium has nary input, helium has nary quality to speech to the officials who are really making the decisions. He's not trying to [influence things], he's watching the game."

Arsenal themselves person already seen 3 reddish cards this season. Their archetypal 2 came arsenic a effect of a crackdown connected teams and players trying to hold the restart. Declan Rice was dismissed against Brighton earlier Leandro Trossard was sent disconnected astatine Manchester City.

Those dismissals person courted contention with Webb coming retired to explicate the reasoning down them. There person been frustrations astir consistency with the PGMOL main confessing they person got immoderate wrong.

Arteta has aired vexation with immoderate of Arsenal's earlier reddish cards but had fewer complaints astir Saliba being sent off. "Tonight we made 2 large errors that person outgo america the crippled unfortunately," helium said.

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