Referees’ chief Howard Webb says Manchester City’s second goal in their 5-1 win over Fulham on Saturday should not have counted.
City retook the lead through Nathan Ake but Webb believes Manuel Akanji, standing in an offside position, caused goalkeeper Bernd Leno to hesitate.
“It’s a clear situation of offside,” Webb told Match Officials: Mic’d Up.
This season referees’ body the PGMOL and the Premier League are releasing in-game audio from officials.
“From the outset I think this should have been disallowed. It certainly appears Akanji has an impact on the goalkeeper who seems to hesitate,” added Webb on the first episode of Match Officials: Mic’d Up, shown on Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
Webb also said the video assistant referee (VAR) should have awarded Wolves a late penalty against Manchester United in the two sides’ opening game of the season.
He added that John Brooks’ decision to send off Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk against Newcastle was correct.
And Alejandro Garnacho’s strike against Arsenal for Manchester United was “rightly disallowed” for offside.
The application of VAR technology has been questioned and criticised by managers, players and pundits throughout the Premier League since its introduction in 2019.
(BBC)
