PGMOL excludes Salisbury from final Premier League fixtures
Michael Salisbury will not officiate any of the ten final-round matches, while James Bell returns to the VAR role despite recent criticism.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited has confirmed that Michael Salisbury will not be assigned to any officiating role in the final round of Premier League fixtures. Salisbury, who refereed Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last Sunday, is omitted from the teams for all ten matches scheduled for Sunday, which kick off at 16:00 BST.
The decision follows controversy surrounding Salisbury’s handling of a goal by Matheus Cunha. The official allowed the strike to stand despite Bryan Mbeumo handling the ball in the build-up, a call he maintained after rejecting a video assistant referee review at the pitchside monitor. The PGMOL subsequently admitted the goal should have been disallowed.
Howard Webb, the head of refereeing, informed Nottingham Forest that while there could be justifiable reasons to deem the incident was not handball, 'football's expectation' would have been for the goal to be ruled out. The incident marked the fourth time this season, and the 17th time in seven seasons, that a referee has rejected the advice of the VAR.
Salisbury has been in charge of 13 Premier League matches this season. The source notes that referees in the English professional game generally adopt a more lenient approach to handball than officials in other nations, although they must still operate within the laws of the game.
In other officiating appointments, James Bell has been selected as the VAR for Fulham’s home game against Newcastle. Bell faces criticism for his decision not to recommend a review regarding a challenge by Arsenal’s Kai Havertz on Burnley’s Lesley Ugochukwu on Monday.
