PGMOL drops VAR official for Anfield showdown after Fulham controversy

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The Premier League is no stranger to heated debates about refereeing calls.

Managers, players, and fans often feel that decisions change the course of games.

The use of VAR was supposed to bring clarity, but at times it has only created more tension.

Ahead of one of the league’s biggest fixtures at Anfield, VAR has again become the talking point.

Liverpool are preparing to host Arsenal in a crucial early-season clash, but the build-up has been overshadowed by a fallout from another match.

It is the kind of distraction that can shape narratives before the first whistle.

Liverpool know how much momentum matters, and they will have noticed how quickly focus can shift when officiating errors dominate headlines.

For a team chasing the title, consistency on and off the pitch is vital.

That is why the news of a late change in VAR officials before Arsenal’s visit is being closely followed by supporters and pundits alike.

As per The Mirror, Michael Salisbury, who worked VAR during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham, has been removed from his role for the Liverpool-Arsenal game.

He has been replaced by John Brooks, with Chris Kavanagh staying on as the on-field referee at Anfield.

The Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) admitted that Fulham’s disallowed opener at Stamford Bridge was handled incorrectly.

They said the incident did not meet the “high bar” for VAR intervention and was not a clear and obvious error.

The controversy came when Fulham thought they had scored through Josh King?

Salisbury advised referee Robert Jones to check the monitor for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up.

Jones eventually judged that Muniz made a “careless challenge” on Trevoh Chalobah, and the goal was chalked off.

Fulham manager Marco Silva was furious.

“Unbelievable the goal was disallowed,” Silva said after the match.

He also took aim at the added time: “After the second corner it was already nine minutes of extra-time

The game didn’t stop during the eight minutes, so the game should be stopped after the first corner.”

For Liverpool, the removal of Salisbury means fresh eyes will be on VAR when Arsenal arrive at Anfield.

Given how fine the margins are in games of this size, the spotlight on officials will be as sharp as the focus on the players.

Read more: Alan Shearer delivers Liverpool title prediction if two potential deals are wrapped up

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