- Howard Webb was seen using his phone and an earpiece during VAR review
- Saliba was initially booked for foul on Evanilson before decision was overturned
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Howard Webb did not influence William Saliba’s red card during Arsenal‘s defeat at Bournemouth, the PGMOL say.
The Frenchman was sent off in the first half for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity after a tug on Evanilson close to the halfway line.
Saliba had been initially booked for the foul but the decision was overturned after referee Rob Jones was recommended to do an on field review.
Sky cameras showed Webb, who was sat in the stands, using his phone and an earpiece as VAR reviewed the incident.
However, PGMOL say the referee’s chief was listening to the communication between officials and had no involvement in the decision to send Saliba off, as per the Times.
Howard Webb reportedly did not influence William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth
Saliba was deemed to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity after a tug on Evanlinson
The Frenchman was initially booked for the offence before the decision was overturned
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher questioned Webb’s involvement in a now deleted post on X.
He wrote: ‘Was Howard Webb involved in the decision-making of the red card of Saliba??’.
Saliba’s red at the Vitality Stadium was the third time Arsenal have been reduced to 10 men in their eight Premier League matches so far this season.
And Mikel Arteta believes his side have themselves to blame, saying: ‘We are obviously very disappointed with the result and gutted because we have to play again in that context. This time was even more difficult than the previous two we faced this season.
‘Playing for 65 or 68 minutes with 10 men at this level is just an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen, not to get the points. I cannot fault the team for their effort, their commitment, how intelligent they are to play in the way that we have to do it.
‘There is a big moment obviously with 0-0 when we have a big opening, one against one with the ‘keeper. We don’t manage to score and at the other end we do that. We have to fault ourselves.
‘Football is a sport where errors are part of that. Tonight we made two big errors that have cost us the game unfortunately.’
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher questioned Webb’s involvement in a now deleted post
Mikel Arteta believes his side have themselves to blame for not being clinical in front of goal
On Saliba’s decision to pull down Evanilson, Arteta added: ‘It’s a split of a second decision you have to make.
‘The striker is on his back. Obviously, he doesn’t expect the ball suddenly to be coming his way. He just made a decision and that’s it.’
Asked if Arsenal will appeal the decision, the Spaniard said: ‘That decision was changed and now the decision is not going to change twice. So, decision made.
‘We have to accept it, move on and have that pain that we are feeling at the moment for Tuesday [against Shakhtar Donetsk].’