Jamie Carragher took to social media to raise questions about whether Howard Webb, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), was involved in the decision to upgrade William Saliba’s yellow card to a red during Arsenal’s Premier League match against Bournemouth.
The incident occurred in the first half of Saturday’s game at The Vitality Stadium when Saliba fouled Bournemouth forward Evanilson.
Initially, referee Rob Jones issued a yellow card for the challenge, but after a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the yellow was upgraded to a red, leading to Saliba’s dismissal.
This decision means that Saliba, one of Arsenal’s key defenders, will now be suspended for their upcoming crucial fixture against Liverpool next weekend.
Carragher, a former Liverpool defender and now a prominent football pundit, posted his concerns on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In a post that has since been deleted, he asked whether Webb had directly influenced the VAR decision, pointing out that Webb was seen using his phone in the stands during the match.
Carragher’s comments fueled further speculation about the transparency of the decision-making process.
Following Saliba’s red card, Arsenal fans voiced their anger toward Webb and the PGMOL, chanting “F*** Howard Webb” in response to the perceived unfairness of the decision.
At the time of the incident, the match was still tied at 0-0 going into halftime, and Saliba’s absence undoubtedly posed a significant challenge for Arsenal as they sought to secure three points.
The red card also adds to the growing list of challenges for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who is already dealing with several injuries in his squad.
Club captain Martin Ødegaard has been sidelined recently, though there are reports that he could return in time for the Liverpool clash.
Furthermore, Arsenal were without star winger Bukayo Saka during the Bournemouth match due to an injury he sustained during international duty.
In response to the controversy, the Premier League released a statement explaining the rationale behind the decision to upgrade Saliba’s card.
According to the statement, the VAR team determined that Saliba had denied Evanilson a clear goal-scoring opportunity, which is why they recommended that the on-field referee review the incident.
After consulting the video replay, Rob Jones decided to upgrade the yellow card to a red, in accordance with the rules.
This latest incident is just one of several controversial refereeing decisions that Arsenal has encountered this season.
Earlier in the campaign, both Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were shown red cards for receiving second yellow cards due to delaying restarts during matches.
Trossard’s sending-off occurred in a high-stakes game against Manchester City, and similar to Saliba’s situation, it had a significant impact on Arsenal’s ability to secure a result.
These decisions have led to growing frustration among the club’s supporters regarding officiating this season.
