VAR for Liverpool-Arsenal replaced before kickoff over previous error

LONDON (AP) — The official who was scheduled to be the VAR for the Liverpool-Arsenal match in the Premier League on Sunday has been replaced hours before kickoff, reportedly because of a mistake he made in the same role during the fixture between Chelsea and Fulham on Saturday.

Michael Salisbury was removed from the list of officials for the match at Anfield, with John Brooks taking his place.

Salisbury was the VAR who intervened to ask match referee Rob Jones to go to the pitchside monitor after Fulham midfielder Josh King scored what appeared to be the opening goal 21 minutes into the game against Chelsea. The goal was chalked off because Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz was deemed to have stepped on Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah during the buildup to the goal, despite minimal contact.

British media have reported that English soccer's referees' body — Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) — has acknowledged that the decision was an error and the incident did not meet the high bar for intervention as a clear and obvious error.

Fulham went on to lose the game 2-0, with manager Marco Silva describing the decision to rule out the goal as “unbelievable."

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