PGMOL insists Howarb Webb had no influence on William Saliba's red card in Arsenal shock defeat

Professional Game Match Officials Limited insists Howard Webb was not involved in the VAR review that saw William Saliba sent off.

An Arsenal with ten men suffered a scare 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday after the defender received a straight red card in the 30th minute.

The Frenchman originally received a yellow card after bringing down Cherries man Evanilson as he headed towards goal near the halfway line.

VAR Jarred Gillett then recommended referee Robert Jones go to the monitor to review the decision, prompting Jones to throw out the yellow card and hand out a red to a horrified Saliba.

This was because the 23-year-old was deemed to have been the last man and also denied Bournemouth a goal-scoring opportunity.

During the review, Sky Sports cameras focused on PGMOL boss Webb sitting in the Vitality stands just as the decision went to VAR.

He was seen with his hand on an earphone and looking at his mobile phone.

However, the PGMOL says it was unable to contact any of the officials.

Webb maintains that he was listening to the audio between the VAR and the officials on the field (the same channel that broadcasters have access to) and that he had no opinion or opportunity to speak to the officials.

Some fans and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragherquestioned the scenes and suggested that Webb was involved in the decision-making for Saliba's expulsion after seeing him speaking on the phone at the time.

However, the former Reds defender quickly deleted his post and the PGMOL has since strongly insisted: via The Timesthat this was not the case.

“Was Howard Webb involved in the red card decision for Saliba?” Carragher wrote in X.

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Arsenal Star Saliba's red card was Arsenal's third sending off in the Premier League this season, with Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard also sent off in the first eight games.

And while the manager Mikel Arteta Although he had no immediate complaints about Saturday's decision, he acknowledged that his team's disciplinary record is a problem in their bid to win the Premier League.

“Playing with ten men is obviously a problem,” the Gunners boss said.

“When you analyze the three different actions and the results, it is very different. We cannot continue playing with ten men. The task becomes almost impossible. We need to eradicate that.”

Ricewho received a second yellow card against Brighton for having sent the ball off, also He regretted his team's “silly mistakes”.

Speaking specifically about Saliba's red card, Arteta added: “It's a second decision you have to make. The striker has his back turned.

“Obviously, he doesn't expect the ball to suddenly come his way. He just made a decision and that's it.”

Saliba, who has formed a formidable partnership with fellow central defender Gabriel, will miss the clash against Liverpool this weekend while serving his suspension.