Premier League Referees Chief Admits Error Disallowing Fulham Goal, Drops VAR Official

Howard Webb, head of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has admitted that the decision to disallow Fulham's Josh King's goal against Chelsea was a clear error by the match officials. The goal was ruled out after a VAR review identified a "careless challenge" by Rodrigo Muniz on Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah during the build-up, but Webb stated this should have been a 'referees' call' rather than a clear and obvious mistake warranting goal disallowance. Webb emphasized that Premier League officiating principles set a high threshold for penalizing contact and intervening with VAR to preserve the game's flow and rhythm, and that the guidance was not properly followed in this case. As a consequence, VAR official Michael Salisbury was removed from his next Premier League appointment. Webb apologized to Fulham and noted that the officials focused too narrowly on the contact without considering the full context, leading to the misjudgment. The incident has sparked criticism, including from Fulham’s manager, highlighting ongoing debates about VAR's role and application in football.