Chelsea
Webb accepts VAR error after Fulham goal is wrongly ruled out in Chelsea defeat
Howard Webb admits VAR guidance was not followed after Michael Salisbury stood down by PGMOL. on Sat.
Howard Webb has acknowledged a clear error after a Fulham goal was disallowed during Saturday’s 2–0 defeat to Chelsea. The outcome stood and Chelsea went on to win, but the decision sparked immediate criticism and prompted action from PGMOL.
PGMOL removed the VAR official Michael Salisbury from the same role for Sunday’s Liverpool v Arsenal fixture. Webb addressed the incident on Match Officials Mic’d Up and said the VAR protocol in place was not applied correctly.
“It wasn’t controversial, it was wrong,” he said.
Webb reiterated the principles that guide VAR use in the Premier League and how officials are instructed to operate at a high threshold for intervention. He emphasised that on-field decisions should normally stand unless the evidence is very clear.
“We’ve established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR. They sit around a high threshold for penalising contact, aiding the flow, rhythm and tempo of the game. We’ve also established a high bar for intervention with VAR.
“In other words, if situations are not clearly wrong and the referee has made a call on the field, that call will stand or at least should stand. That’s the message we give to all of our VARs, particularly when we come to taking away goals that are obviously a crucial moment in the game.
“We should only be taking goals away when the evidence is very clear that’s the only thing we can do and that’s the guidance we give to our officials.
“In this situation, that guidance wasn’t followed properly. There was a misjudgement by the officials involved in this situation about how that contact happened between Muniz and Chalobah. The officials got super-focused on that contact, without looking at the full context of how it happened.
“It happens when Muniz is in possession of the ball, controls the ball, turns naturally and brings his foot down on to Chalobah, who’s moved his foot into a space which the Fulham player has the right to put his foot into in that normal way.”
The disallowed Fulham effort and Webb’s admission generated anger in the public debate. Premier League figure Alan Shearer expressed his frustration on The Rest Is Football, exclaiming: “What the f— are they thinking?”
Chelsea
Ngumoha explains why Liverpool move was an easy call after Chelsea exit
Ngumoha says Liverpool offered him a clearer route to first-team football than Chelsea ever could.
Rio Ngumoha has described his switch from Chelsea to Liverpool as an obvious decision, saying the promise of a clearer route to first-team football made the move straightforward.
Chelsea were frustrated to lose a highly rated youngster, with Liverpool eventually paying a minimum of $3.7 million after a tribunal. But for Ngumoha, the attraction of a defined pathway at Anfield outweighed everything else.
“I feel like I needed a new challenge,” Ngumoha told The Guardian. “Liverpool gave me a new pathway. The plan that they set for me was straightforward. It was a no-brainer. They just said if I prove myself then they know that I would definitely be a star for them in the making.”
The 18-year-old has already begun to justify that faith. After making his debut in the 2024-25 season, he went on to feature 29 times the following campaign, a year highlighted by a late winner against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Arne Slot provided the platform for his breakthrough, and Ngumoha is now benefiting from fresh leadership. Andoni Iraola has given him regular starts and useful minutes from the bench, with the forward generally impressing and adding two assists.
Ngumoha also sees the Ballon d’Or as a realistic target in the future, helped by the wider impact of Harry Kane’s success. “Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or is definitely a big thing,” said the teenager. “It’s also helped English football now because everyone’s seen one of us win the Ballon d’Or , it is definitely encouraging many more people to want to be known as the best player in the world.
“For me, I would like to achieve it and I think I can do it.”
He will have the chance to discuss that ambition with Kane during the current international break, after being named once more in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
Ngumoha’s departure also reflects a familiar pattern. Chelsea’s habit of collecting elite young talent has often led to players seeking opportunities elsewhere, and he joins the likes of Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Michael Olise in leaving Stamford Bridge in search of a clearer route to senior soccer.
Even so, Chelsea’s approach has not changed. Last summer they spent $167 million on four players aged 22 or under, yet minutes have remained hard to find. Dastan Satpayev has already gone on loan, while Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Valentín Barco have managed only four Premier League starts between them.
Borussia Dortmund
Five Possible Moves for Estêvão, Ranked
Estêvão is short of minutes at Chelsea, and several major clubs could enter the picture.
Estêvão’s place in Xabi Alonso’s plans appears secure in theory, but the evidence on the pitch has told a different story. The Brazilian youngster has found minutes hard to come by in a system built around a back three and wingbacks, which has left little space for wide forwards. He was even left on the bench when Chelsea exited the Carabao Cup on penalties to Liverpool last month.
There was a reminder of what he can offer when Alonso shifted to a 4-2-3-1 for the recent win over Manchester United. Estêvão started on the right and produced a strong display. Yet that momentum did not last, with another formation change ahead of the defeat to Sunderland before the international break sending him back to the bench.
BBC Sport reported in September that Estêvão was among a small group of “untouchable” Chelsea players, alongside Moisés Caicedo, Cole Palmer and João Pedro. Even so, a player of his ability, and one who has long attracted attention, could eventually begin to look elsewhere if the current situation does not improve.
If that point arrives, several destinations could enter the picture.
Paris Saint-Germain remain a logical name in any discussion of elite attacking talent, particularly after their summer reshuffle. But with Lee Kang-in, Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos already moved on, and with Maghnes Akliouche, Ferran Torres and Mika Godts arriving, they are more likely to trust their current options. They have also been hit by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s ACL tear, though Luis Enrique still has plenty to work with.
Liverpool is another obvious possibility. After Mohamed Salah’s departure in the summer, Andoni Iraola has used Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha on the right wing, but that position may still need greater certainty. A Chelsea sale to a Premier League rival would be difficult to imagine, yet the financial logic is there.
Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, would make sense only if the situation worsened and Chelsea agreed to a loan in January. They may not be as imposing as they once were, but the club still has a reputation for developing talent. Estêvão may not be the ideal Niko Kovać wide player, but Dortmund would be one to watch if temporary respite becomes the next step.
Chelsea
Chelsea’s penalty appeal at Sunderland explained by VAR check
Chelsea’s penalty appeal was rejected at Sunderland after VAR judged the challenge outside the box.
Chelsea’s first-half visit to Sunderland produced a major refereeing flashpoint after a penalty appeal was turned down and then left untouched by VAR.
The key moment arrived about a quarter of the way through the opening half, when Palmer shifted beyond Luke O’Nien. Sunderland’s skipper tried to stop him, but he did not get near the ball and instead came into the back of Palmer’s right knee.
Referee Gillett did not signal for a foul, and video assistant referee Nick Hopton also chose not to ask for a review at the monitor. During the contest, the Premier League issued a statement saying the VAR was not convinced by the penalty appeal.
Hopton’s view was that the incident happened outside the area. Broadcast footage, however, suggested the contact may have started just before the white line and then continued into the box, which would have made a penalty decision more likely.
The reasoning behind the call sits in the way VAR is allowed to operate. It can only intervene when there is a “clear and obvious error,” a standard maintained by the Premier League’s lawmakers.
That still left many online fans angry at the outcome, especially after Sunderland were awarded a penalty just 13 minutes later. Sky Sports commentator Chris Sutton offered only partial sympathy for the visitors, adding to the scrutiny on a decision that had already become the main talking point of the match.
