Sky Sports have insisted that PGMOL chief, Howard Webb, did not play a role in the decision to send off William Saliba during Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.
Saliba was shown a red card after bringing Evanilson down as he raced through on goal.
Referee Robert Jones initially showed te France defender a yellow card, but was advised to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
However, there was a bit of controversy, as some Arsenal fans also questioned if Webb influenced the decision from the stands.
Webb was seen texting and talking on his phone throughout the VAR check.
“Was Howard Webb involved in the decision making of the red card of Saliba?” Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, asked in a now-deleted social media post.
But after the game, Sky Sports presenter David Jones explained that Webb was listening to the officials communicate but had “no input” into the decision.
Jones said: “You might have seen on social media, there have been one or two people speculating about what Howard Webb was up to in the crowd [during the VAR check].
“He’s got that earpiece in, he’s got his phone out. What we understand he’s doing is he’s listening to a match feed of the VAR officials and their communication with the on-field officials, just as we do as broadcasters.
“But he has no input and has no ability to talk to the officials who are actually making the decisions. Just to clear that up for you.”
EPL: Why PGMOL referee, Howard Webb was on his phone before Saliba red card
