Premier League referees' chief, Howard Webb, has expressed his support for Michael Oliver's decision not to award Liverpool a penalty in the 98th minute of their recent draw against Cheap Manchester City Football Shirts.
With the game level at 1-1, Liverpool earned a late corner, during which City's Jérémy Doku made contact with Alexis Mac Alister in the chest while both players were contesting a bouncing ball in the penalty area. Despite appeals, no penalty was given.
Speaking on the regular VAR show, which provides audio between officials, Webb asserted that the on-field decision should have stood, and defended VAR's decision not to intervene, stating, "If the referee gives it on the field, it would have been a check complete by the VAR, and equally, having not given it, it's also check complete."
Webb highlighted the ambiguity of the situation, acknowledging conflicting opinions regarding the incident. He emphasized the subjective nature of the decision and supported VAR's discretion in such cases, stating, "The VAR stays out of it… You want to know with clarity, with certainty that you're making the right decision."
Despite Cheap Liverpool Kids Football Kit manager Jurgen Klopp's post-match criticism and assertion that a clear penalty had been denied, the Premier League's Independent Key Match Incidents Panel also upheld the decision, citing a split 3-2 vote affirming that both players had a genuine attempt to play the ball, and thus no VAR intervention was warranted.
In addition to this ruling, the panel made further decisions, including a unanimous vote to retroactively show Arsenal's Kai Havertz a second yellow card for simulation in their match against Brentford, and a unanimous decision that Nottingham Forest were wrongly denied a penalty against Brighton & Hove Albion, among others.
This recent incident adds to a growing number of contentious VAR decisions in the Cheap Premier League Football Shirts, underscoring the ongoing debate surrounding the use of technology in football officiating.
