Howard Webb Concedes Premier League’s VAR Blunder Over Disallowed Fulham Goal at Stamford Bridge

Written by Pavel Kateliev

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, | Updated: September 3, 2025

VAR displaying decision to rule out a goal

Key Takeaways:

Howard Webb has acknowledged the incorrect decision to rule out Joshua King’s goal for Fulham against Chelsea
VAR official Michael Salisbury was relieved of duties for the Liverpool v Arsenal match the following day
Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory after Fulham’s early opener was controversially overturned

VAR Review at Stamford Bridge: A Costly Mistake

During Fulham’s visit to Stamford Bridge, 18-year-old Joshua King found the net in the 22nd minute, initially putting the visitors ahead against Chelsea. However, after a lengthy VAR review, the effort was disallowed due to an adjudged foul by Rodrigo Muniz, who, in attempting to turn, inadvertently stepped on Trevoh Chalobah. Referees on the pitch and in the VAR booth deemed this action enough to nullify the goal.

Implications and Official Response

Chelsea went on to win the match 2-0, securing all three points. Michael Salisbury, who handled VAR duties for this fixture, was removed from officiating the subsequent Liverpool versus Arsenal derby that took place the following day.

PGMOL chief Howard Webb says the decision to disallow Josh King's goal for Fulham in their defeat by Chelsea last weekend was a "misjudgement". 😳 pic.twitter.com/8UG8rpBf9I
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 2, 2025

Howard Webb, the head of England’s referees, admitted that the VAR intervention and the ultimate ruling were erroneous and failed to follow established Premier League procedures. He commented, “It wasn’t controversial, it was wrong. We have established certain principles regarding how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR. They require a high threshold for penalizing such contacts because the goal is to support the rhythm and tempo of the game. We have also set a high standard for VAR intervention. In this situation, these guidelines were not properly followed. There was a misjudgment by the officials involved in this situation regarding how the contact between Muniz and Chalobah occurred. The officials focused too much on this contact, without considering the full context of how it happened,” said Webb.