The chief referee, Howard Webb, has stated that Manchester City’s second goal in their 5-1 victory over Fulham on Saturday should not have been allowed. Nathan Ake scored the goal, but Webb believes that Manuel Akanji, who was in an offside position, caused goalkeeper Bernd Leno to hesitate.
“It’s a clear offside situation,” Webb explained on Match Officials: Mic’d Up.
During this season, the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and the Premier League are sharing in-game audio from referees.
“In my opinion, this goal should have been disallowed right from the start. It’s clear that Akanji influenced the goalkeeper, causing him to hesitate,” Webb remarked during the debut episode of Match Officials: Mic’d Up, which was broadcast on Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
Webb also stated that the video assistant referee (VAR) should have granted Wolves a late penalty during their opening game against Manchester United.
Furthermore, he affirmed that the decision by John Brooks to red-card Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in their match against Newcastle was accurate.
Additionally, Alejandro Garnacho’s goal for Manchester United against Arsenal, which was disallowed for offside, was the correct decision.
The effectiveness of VAR technology has faced scrutiny and criticism from managers, players, and pundits in the Premier League since its introduction in 2019.
