Howard Webb has clarified the situation surrounding the decision to change William Saliba’s yellow card to a red during Arsenal’s match against Bournemouth, addressing the controversy that emerged afterward.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher stirred up a debate on social media when he implied that Webb, as PGMOL chief, may have influenced the call. Initially, Saliba received a yellow card from referee Rob Jones for a foul on Evanilson in the first half. However, after a VAR review, the yellow card was upgraded to a red, as it was determined Saliba had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
As a result of the red card, Saliba will miss Arsenal’s upcoming game against Liverpool, a crucial fixture. Carragher suggested that Webb’s presence on his phone during the match might have played a part in the decision-making process.
Arsenal supporters, already frustrated by the injuries to key players like Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, voiced their displeasure during the game, chanting against Webb and the PGMOL. The Premier League later issued a statement defending the red card decision, explaining that it was made based on the guidance provided by VAR, which had deemed the foul a serious enough offense to warrant an upgrade from yellow to red.
Webb’s involvement was publicly questioned by Carragher, igniting further anger among Arsenal fans as the club faced a challenging match.
