Chelsea fans slam PGMOL Chief, Howard Webb

In the latest episode of “Match Officials Mic’d Up,” PGMOL chief Howard Webb has sparked outrage among Chelsea fans by addressing the contentious red card shown to Chelsea defender Malo Gusto during their clash with Aston Villa on September 24th.

This show, which is broadcast on TNT Sports and Sky Sports, features Webb breaking down and explaining various refereeing decisions.

Webb, along with host Michael Owen, dissected a range of decisions from recent matches, including Liverpool winger Luis Diaz’s offside ruling against Tottenham and a handball offense committed by Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes against Luton.

However, it was the discussion about Malo Gusto’s red card that stirred the most controversy.

During Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, referee Jarred Gillett initially issued a yellow card to Gusto for a foul on Lucas Digne. VAR (Video Assistant Referee) intervened, recommending a review of the decision, and ultimately, the yellow card was overturned in favor of a red card.

This decision had significant implications for Chelsea, as Gusto was suspended for three games, and Chelsea’s only other senior right-back, Reece James, was sidelined due to injury.

The VAR audio from the incident reveals the deliberation process that occurred before the red card was shown.

The VAR official noted a ‘buckling ankle’ and the fact that Gusto had temporarily left the ground, prompting the recommendation for the on-field referee, Jarred Gillett, to review the footage.

Gillett initially believed there was no foul, and the assistant VAR recommended issuing a yellow card to Gusto.

This discrepancy in the decision-making process drew parallels to a challenge made by Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in a recent match.

In response to the controversy, Howard Webb explained why Kovacic was not sent off, stating,

“The contact is a little bit more to the side with an upright foot as opposed to a side-on foot, which we saw with Gusto.”

Chelsea fans took to social media, expressing their frustration with the inconsistency in decisions.

Some argued that the challenge on Gusto appeared similar to Kovacic’s tackle and questioned why Kovacic was not penalized.

Webb’s analysis of the incident has reignited the debate around Gusto’s red card, with fans emphasizing that Gusto had made contact with the ball before catching the ankle and that it was a fair tackle.

Some fans expressed their disbelief at the decision, emphasizing the challenges faced by players when attempting to slide for the ball without any follow-through.