In a rare and candid admission, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb has confirmed that a significant Video Assistant Referee (VAR) error cost Chelsea a clear penalty in their recent Premier League stalemate with Fulham.
The controversial incident occurred in the first half at Stamford Bridge when Fulham's Issa Diogo appeared to bring down Chelsea's Raheem Sterling in the penalty area. Despite vehement appeals from the Blues, on-field referee Anthony Taylor waved play on, and in a decision that has since been heavily criticised, VAR official Michael Salisbury opted not to intervene.
Webb addressed the mistake publicly on the weekly show 'Match Officials: Mic'd Up', where he analyses key refereeing decisions. He stated that a penalty should indeed have been awarded to the home side, acknowledging that Salisbury had unfortunately failed to recommend an on-field review for Taylor.
"This did not meet the threshold for being clear and obvious," Webb explained, detailing the thought process behind the error. "That's what the VAR was thinking. But of course, the referee on the field had a really good game... but he's missed something. Something that can be checked. The VAR's job is to look for it and find it to make sure the outcome is right."
Webb concluded that the officials fell short of their objective in this instance, confirming that "the VAR should have recommended a review so the referee could go to the screen and award a penalty." This public clarification from the head of England's refereeing body provides little consolation for a Chelsea side that dropped two valuable points in a 0-0 draw, a result that could have significant implications in a tightly-contested league table.
