VAR official dropped after PGMOL admit mistake over Fulham goal

Official Michael Salisbury has been dropped for Sunday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Arsenal after Professional Game Match Officials Limited said it was a mistake for the video assistant referee to disallow Fulham's opening goal at Chelsea on Saturday.

Josh King scored 22 minutes into the game only for it to be chalked off following a VAR intervention for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up.

Muniz was deemed to have stepped on the foot of Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah while trying to turn him near the halfway line.

The goal was ruled out after a lengthy review by VAR official Salisbury, which was confirmed by referee Robert Jones after looking at the pitchside monitor, and Chelsea went on to win 2-0.

Referees chief Howard Webb has spoken to Fulham and declared the decision was an error.

He said the decision to rule out the goal did not reach the high bar of a VAR intervention as it was not a clear and obvious error by the referee and should have been a 'referees' call' instead.

As a result, referees' body PGMOL has replaced Salisbury with John Brooks for the Sunday's match at Anfield.

Fulham manager Marco Silva was furious with the officials after the defeat, describing the decision to disallow the goal as "unbelievable".

"How you disallow a goal like that is unbelievable," Silva told TNT Sports after the game, which left Fulham winless after three Premier League matches.

"We have meetings with referees and people in charge, we all want to win. VAR is not here to re-referee the game.

"I would prefer not to say something more because I would be punished. I want to be on the touchline next week to help my team, I don't want to be fined.

"But it has been a difficult start to the season with some decisions."

It was the second Premier League home game in a row that Chelsea have benefited from a VAR intervention, after Eberechi Eze's free-kick in a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace was disallowed on the opening weekend because Marc Guehi was deemed to have interfered with the wall.