Match Officials Mic’d Up: Howard Webb’s Review of Liverpool against Manchester City, West Ham against Aston Villa, and more VAR discussion points.
In the latest episode of Match Officials Mic’d Up, Howard Webb and former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Michael Owen discuss why Tomas Soucek’s role prevented West Ham from scoring a late winner against Aston Villa, among other topics.
In the latest episode of Match Officials Mic’d Up, PGMOL chairman Howard Webb discusses why Liverpool was not awarded a penalty late on against Manchester City, why West Ham was denied a late winner against Aston Villa, and more.
In full: Webb’s analysis of Liverpool’s late penalty appeal
The last minute of Liverpool’s thrilling 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Super Sunday did not result in a penalty given by VAR.
Jeremy Doku looked to catch Liverpool’s number ten in the chest as he challenged Alexis Mac Allister in the penalty area during the game’s last minute as City defended a corner.
Referee Michael Oliver waved away the call, and after careful consideration, VAR Stuart Attwell decided to follow the on-field call.
Howard Webb: “This one has a split opinion.” I believe if the referee had given it on the field, the VAR would have marked it as ‘check complete’.
However, it is also marked as “check complete” because it was not given. You can hear Michael Oliver say that the ball is in between. The ball is too low to head… Doku lifts his foot to play the ball, and he does make contact with the ball.
“We are aware that Mac Allister has made some contact as well, so he is also not really playing the ball.
“I think it would have been ‘check complete’ either way, as he doesn’t want to be referring to the game in situations that are not really clear.
“In this situation, the VAR stays out of it and I think that’s what we would expect.
“It’s a massive game, so as a referee, you just want clarity and certainty that you’re making the right decision. You don’t always have sufficient information to make the right decision. You need that at big moments in and around the penalty area.
“You do everything you can to be in the right position. Michael didn’t have certainty in this situation, but VAR didn’t have any clear and obvious evidence to overturn the on-field decision. It’s subjective, so stay out of it. VAR followed the right course in not getting involved.”
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Complete: Webb’s evaluation of West Ham’s goal that was later disallowed
In West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, it took five-and-a-half minutes to clear up whether the hosts had scored a late winner.
Tomas Soucek thought he had won it for the Hammers in the dying stages of added time after getting on the end of James Ward-Prowse’s free-kick.
However, a thorough Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check determined that it was not for handball.
Howard Webb: “It was quite a complicated sequence as there was quite a lot going on. We see the free-kick coming in, and we know there is a possible offside.
“There’s also a couple of potential handball offences. There’s one by Tomas Soucek, and we know the ball definitely comes off Soucek’s hand.
“But he’s not the goalscorer, as the ball then hits Jarrod Bowen on the ground. We see that the VAR and AVAR performing the sequence are audib
“They’re trying to fi”They are attempting to identify the most conclusive feature of it. Either way, it hits Jarrod’s arm on the floor. If it does, then we know that the goal can’t stand.
“We know that if the ball hits the scorer’s arm—even if it is accidental—then the goal has to be disallowed. They’re looking at the goal from different angles to see if the ball hits Bowen’s arm.
“We can not quite nail down the exact angle, but I think it hits his left arm. So they go back to Soucek to see if it comes off his arm, but for Soucek, it has to be a deliberate handball offence or he has made himself bigger in some way.
“It did take quite a bit of time. Soucek turns his body to knock it onto Bowen, so it is a handball. It’s an example of how complicated these sequences can be.”