VAR ref axed from Arsenal clash after Fulham goal blunder

Match referee Robert Jones checks the VAR screen after Joshua King of Fulham's disallowed goal during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge (Illustrative image) (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) Getty Images

Video assistant referee Michael Salisbury has been removed from Sunday's Liverpool versus Arsenal match after the referees' body PGMOL admitted making an error. The decision comes following a controversial VAR intervention during Chelsea's match against Fulham that wrongly disallowed a goal.

PGMOL acknowledged that ruling out Josh King's goal for Fulham was a mistake. The VAR intervention identified a foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up, but officials have now conceded this decision was incorrect.

Immediate consequences

John Brooks will replace Salisbury as the VAR official for the high-profile Premier League clash at Anfield. The swift removal of an official following a VAR error demonstrates unusually rapid accountability from PGMOL.

Such immediate consequences for officiating mistakes are relatively rare in Premier League football. The replacement comes ahead of one of the weekend's most significant fixtures between two title contenders.

Personal impact

According to Metro, Howard Webb personally contacted Fulham to acknowledge the VAR error directly. The disallowed goal would have been 18-year-old Josh King's first goal for Fulham, adding personal significance to the controversial decision.

Marco Silva expressed broader frustration about multiple decisions going against Fulham early in the season, as reported by Metro. The Fulham manager's concerns highlight growing tensions around VAR consistency and decision-making standards in the Premier League.

Sources used: "BBC", "Metro", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.