Referee removed from Liverpool vs Arsenal match just hours before kickoff. What happened?
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
Just ahead of the Premier League’s marquee third-round clash between Liverpool and Arsenal, there was a surprise change within the officiating crew. Michael Salisbury, who had been appointed as the video assistant referee, was pulled from his duties after a controversial incident during the Chelsea vs Fulham match.
Stepping in for Salisbury at Anfield will be John Brooks, who will now take over VAR responsibilities. The reason for the switch stems from Salisbury’s decision in Saturday’s fixture at Stamford Bridge, where he advised lead referee Rob Jones to disallow a Fulham goal due to an alleged foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah.
The PGMOL leadership acknowledged that this VAR intervention did not meet the organization’s standards. Referees’ chief Howard Webb even personally contacted Fulham in the aftermath of the incident.
