The PGMOL believes there was no conclusive evidence to rule out Anthony Gordon’s controversial winner for Newcastle against Arsenal earlier this month.
Mikel Arteta was left fuming after the final whistle at St. James’ Park on November 4 when Gordon’s goal was allowed to stand after three separate VAR checks, giving the hosts a 1-0 victory.
But on the PGMOL Match Officials’ Mic’d Up show with Michael Owen, referee boss Howard Webb believes the video referee made the right call.
“This was a big moment, an unusual situation with three aspects for VAR to check whether the goal decision on the pitch should be overturned,” he said.
‘We see the ball coming very close to the goal line, don’t forget we have an assistant referee who was right in line. (…) The VAR went through this diligently and found no clear evidence to intervene to cancel the goal. The process was actually correct.
Howard Webb insists VAR was right to allow Anthony Gordon’s controversial winner for Newcastle against Arsenal
The Newcastle winger scored the only goal as the Magpies beat Arsenal 1-0 in a controversial match
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Stuart Attwell and VAR official Andy Madley believed Joe Willock had kept the ball in play, ruling that Joelinton had not fouled Gabriel in the build-up and that Gordon had been onside when he tapped home.
Webb acknowledged the decision was challenging due to the number of players involved in the incident, but noted the proper process was followed.
“The ball doesn’t have much speed as it goes to the goal line, so it looks straight down the goal line, better than any of our cameras,” he said.
“We know the ball is bent so it can hang over the line and we need proof that it is out.
‘The ball comes over and Joelinton challenges Gabriel. It could be a violation, it could be a violation.
‘And then one of those unusual situations is where the ball goes between two players and it’s very difficult to determine exactly when the ball leaves Joelinton.
The first thing the VAR looked at was whether Joe Willock managed to keep the ball in play
VAR then investigated whether Joelinton (bottom right) had made a mistake on Gabriel in the build-up
The third check determined whether Anthony Gordon was in an offside position
‘So again, there is no conclusive evidence that Gordon was offside when the ball was last touched by him.’
The decision to leave the goal irked Arteta, who subsequently denounced the standards of refereeing in the Premier League in a heated press conference.
‘How on earth did this goal stand? It’s unbelievable,” said the Spaniard.
‘I am ashamed. It is an absolute shame that this is allowed. It is not a goal for many reasons.
“It’s so hard to compete at this level. This is nowhere near the (referee) level to describe this as the best competition in the world. I feel sick to be a part of this.”
Gordon’s goal against Arsenal went through three separate VAR checks before being awarded
Mikel Arteta described the decision to let the goal stand as an ‘absolute disgrace’
Webb admitted that Kai Havertz and Bruno Guimaraes should have been sent off during the match
In a statement released a day after the match, Arsenal said they were supporting Arteta after ‘further unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors’.
The club added that fans, players and managers ‘deserve better’ from the PGMOL.
But Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville both strongly criticized Arsenal’s statement.
Neville wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: ‘Arsenal and Liverpool’s statements are wrong. Do it privately. Managers and players make many more mistakes than referees!’
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Liverpool’s match against Luton, Carragher said: ‘This is not the time to jump on the VAR bandwagon and just abuse people in Stockley Park and the referees because that’s not right. ‘
Webb also noted that Bruno Guimaraes should have been sent off for elbowing Jorginho, while Kai Havertz should have been given his marching orders for a tackle on Sean Longstaff in the first half.
“A few situations that in the cold light of day and the analysis that we are going through in the future we would expect red cards in both situations,” he said when asked about the incidents.