Howard Webb appeared on Sky Sports News on Tuesday night to explain two highly controversial decisions in recent Premier League fixtures, but his comments would’ve cut no ice at all with Liverpool fans.
The PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer touched upon Luis Diaz’s wrongly disallowed goal in our 2-1 defeat at Tottenham and the two tackles from Mateo Kovacic which could easily have seen him sent off in Manchester City’s 1-0 loss at Arsenal on Sunday.
Firstly addressing the Colombian’s struck-off goal, the 52-year-old said that the VAR’s hands were tied due to the rulebook when it came to the possibility of stopping the game to go back and review the decision further.
He then made the bizarre claim that it was better for on-field referee Simon Hooper that he didn’t know about the error until the end of the game so that his mind would be clear to get on with the rest of the match.
When it came to the Kovacic incidents, Webb admitted that the Croatian was ‘extremely fortunate’ not to be sent off but absolved Michael Oliver by saying that the official ‘doesn’t want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting’.
These explanations will do nothing to quell the sense of injustice from Liverpool fans, with Diaz’s goal so clearly onside that the multitude of officials on duty that evening surely ought to have spotted the error between them.
As for what happened in the Arsenal-Man City game, how could dismissing Kovacic have been ‘overreacting’ when Hooper’s decision to show a red card to Curtis Jones at Tottenham wasn’t?
Webb had his chance to deliver full and frank public assessments of these two high-profile incidents but unfortunately he absolutely fudged it. Is it any wonder that trust in officiating at Premier League level has eroded?
You can view Webb’s explanations on both matters below, via @SkySportsNews on Twitter/X:
🗣 "[The referee] didn't know at all until the end of the game."
PMGOL chief Howard Webb answers questions on Luis Diaz's incorrectly disallowed for Liverpool against Tottenham 🔴⚽ pic.twitter.com/3lF0mx0FIQ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 10, 2023
🗣 "[Michael Oliver] doesn't want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting."
PGMOL chief Howard Webb admits Manchester City's Mateo Kovačić was "extremely fortunate" not to be sent off against Arsenal 🟥 pic.twitter.com/nrSjokPGHE
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 10, 2023