Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for match officials across English football, has removed from duty two additional VAR officials involved in controversial incidents last weekend for the next round of Premier League games, it was announced Tuesday.
Neither Lee Mason nor Neil Swarbrick have been given a VAR appointment for the next set of matches.
Mason failed to identify Christian Norgaard had come back from an offside position to create Ivan Toney‘s equaliser as Brentford drew 1-1 at Arsenal.
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It meant the offside lines were not applied by Mason, and the goal was allowed to stand. The result saw Arsenal’s lead over Manchester City cut to three points ahead of their meeting at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Chelsea were also denied a penalty in the 89th minute of their 1-1 draw at West Ham United when Tomas Soucek appeared to stop Conor Gallagher‘s shot with his hand, diving to his left. Swarbrick, the Premier League’s head of VAR, chose not to tell the referee he had missed a possible spot kick.
PGMOL’s new chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, admitted to “significant errors” on two offside decisions on Saturday and had taken immediate action by removing John Brooks as VAR from Liverpool vs. Everton on Monday, and Wednesday night’s match between Arsenal vs. Manchester City (replaced by David Coote).
Brooks incorrectly ruled out a Pervis Estupinan goal for Brighton & Hove Albion at Crystal Palace on Saturday, placing the offside line onto the wrong player in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw. Brooks will return in Saturday’s early fixture when Arsenal travel to Aston Villa after sitting out two matches.
Although PGMOL did not acknowledge the Chelsea penalty in its statement, alongside the goals for Brentford and Brighton, it is considered a mistake.
