VAR Controversies Impact Fulham and Wolves, Says Expert Panel

Panel Highlights Errors in Recent Matches

The Key Match Incidents panel has announced that the video assistant referee (VAR) made critical mistakes during the latest round of Premier League matches. This was particularly evident in the games where Fulham faced Chelsea and Wolves played against Everton on August 30.

Both teams were adversely affected by questionable VAR decisions—Fulham’s Josh King had a goal disallowed, and Wolves were denied a penalty.

Disallowed Goal for Fulham

Fulham’s King scored in the 22nd minute, but his goal was invalidated after a protracted VAR review focused on a supposed foul by Rodrigo Muniz. The review determined that Muniz had fouled Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah by stepping on his foot while turning near the midline.

Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), acknowledged last week that the disallowance of King’s goal was a “misjudgement.”

The panel investigated the incident and concluded that both VAR official Michael Salisbury and referee Rob Jones made incorrect decisions. They stated, “The panel unanimously supported the original on-field call to allow play to continue and award the goal.”

Wolves Denied Penalty

In another match, Wolves lost 3-2 to Everton, and the panel noted that a penalty should have been awarded for a foul by Iliman Ndiaye on Hugo Bueno. Three out of five panel members believed that VAR Craig Pawson’s decision not to intervene was erroneous. The panel commented, “The contact made is careless, and a penalty should have been awarded as it was a clear and obvious error not to penalize the foul.”

This outcome leaves Wolves struggling at the bottom of the league without any points.

Match Outcomes and Reactions

Chelsea secured a 2-0 win over Fulham, with goals from Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez following King’s disallowed goal. Fulham’s manager, Marco Silva, expressed disbelief about the decision after the match: “How can you disallow a goal like that? It’s unbelievable. VAR is not here to re-referee the game.”

After this weekend, Salisbury was removed from his VAR duties for Liverpool’s match against Arsenal.

Review of VAR Decisions

The panel released findings noting that last season, there were 18 VAR errors, primarily due to missed interventions. Out of these, only two resulted in disallowed goals. Composed of former players and coaches along with representatives from the Premier League and PGMOL, the panel reviewed 35 incidents in week three and confirmed that correct outcomes were reached in 33 cases, including VAR interventions.