Jamie Carragher stirred controversy on social media by questioning whether PGMOL chief Howard Webb had influenced the decision to change William Saliba’s yellow card to a red during Arsenal’s match against Bournemouth. Initially, referee Rob Jones booked Saliba for a foul on Evanilson in the first half. However, VAR intervened, prompting the upgrade.
As a result of the red card, Saliba will miss Arsenal’s important match against Liverpool next weekend. Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, suggested on social media that Webb might have played a role in the decision, noting Webb was seen speaking on his phone in the crowd.
After the dismissal, frustrated Arsenal fans chanted against Webb and the PGMOL. The match remained goalless at halftime, but Saliba’s exit added to Mikel Arteta’s challenges, already complicated by injuries to key players like Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
The Premier League later issued a statement explaining that VAR had recommended an on-field review, determining that Saliba had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity, which led to the referee’s decision to upgrade the card and further complicate Arsenal’s situation in the match.