![\"Howard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_howard-webb-talkingJPG.jpg\")
Howard Webb has admitted VAR’s mistakes(Image: Sky Sports)<\/p>\nPGMOL chief Howard Webb has spoken about the decision to rule out Josh King’s goal for Fulham against Chelsea for a “careless challenge” by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up<\/p>\n
20:18, 02 Sep 2025Updated 22:33, 02 Sep 2025<\/p>\n
Howard Webb has admitted VAR’s mistakes(Image: Sky Sports)<\/p>\n
Howard Webb has admitted that his team of officials made an embarrassing error in ruling out Fulham\u2019s goal<\/a> against Chelsea<\/a>. Fulham were furious<\/a> after Josh King\u2019s goal was chalked off<\/a> following a VAR review in their 2-0 defeat by their rivals on Saturday.<\/p>\n King thought he had put Fulham<\/a> 1-0 up in the derby, only for referee Rob Jones to rule that his team-mate Rodrigo Muniz had committed a foul earlier in the move. Muniz was adjudged to have put in a “careless challenge” on Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah near the halfway line in the build-up of the counter-attack.<\/p>\n The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) later dropped Michael Salisbury for the Premier League<\/a> game between Liverpool<\/a> and Arsenal<\/a> the following day as punishment for his error. Salisbury was the VAR who worked with Jones and suggested he look at Muniz.<\/p>\n PGMOL chief Webb called Fulham to acknowledge their grievance and said the goal should not have been ruled out because it was not a clear and obvious error by the referee. Instead it should have been deemed a ‘referees’ call’.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Man Utd learn Carabao Cup fate after Grimsby punished for fielding ineligible player<\/a>READ MORE: Furious Marc Guehi could give up Crystal Palace captaincy after Liverpool transfer collapse<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t controversial, it was wrong,\u201d he said on Match Officials Mic’d Up. \u201cWe\u2019ve established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR. They sit around a high threshold for penalising contact \u2013 it aids the flow and rhythm and tempo of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve also established a high bar for intervention with VAR. In other words, if situations are not clearly wrong and the referee has made a call on the field, that call will stand, or at least should stand. And that\u2019s the message that we give to all of our VARs, particularly when we come to taking away goals that are so obviously such a crucial moment in the game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should only be taking goals away when the evidence is very clear that that\u2019s the only thing we can do and that\u2019s the guidance we give to our officials.\u201d<\/p>\n Fulham manager Marco Silva described the decision as \u201cunbelievable\u201d, while defender Antonee Robinson wrote on Instagram<\/a> : “If they can check something for five minutes and still get it wrong, then what’s actually the point? Standard of officiating has been shocking in the Prem for too long now.”<\/p>\n Webb added: \u201cIn this situation, that guidance wasn\u2019t followed properly. There was a misjudgement by the officials involved in this situation about how that contact happened between Muniz and Chalobah. The officials got super focused on that contact without looking at the full context of how it happened.<\/p>\n \u201cIt happens when Muniz is in possession of the ball, controls the ball, turns naturally and brings his foot down on to Chalobah who has moved his foot into a space which the Fulham player has the right to put his foot into in that normal way. So, a misjudgement by the officials.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, as always, we take the learning, we look at what we can do better to ensure we reduce these to a minimum. But we\u2019ve done really well in the last 18 months or so to reduce our involvement, with respect to the referee\u2019s call, almost all of the time in the right way and, as a result of that, we\u2019ve seen less interventions in the Premier League than any other major league in Europe, so we need to continue doing that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand the importance of these decisions, we understand that, if we get it wrong like we did on this occasion, the impact is significant and we\u2019re always, always striving to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a> and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> \u00a349<\/p>\n \u00a335<\/p>\n Sky<\/p>\n![\"Rodrigo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1_Screenshot-2025-09-02-at-142818.jpg\")
Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to have fouled Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up(Image: TNT Sports)<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Chelsea-v-Fulham-Premier-League.jpg\")
Josh King’s goal was incorrectly ruled out(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\")
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