CHEATED ARSENAL?… – SkySports report what PGMOL chief Howard Webb told the Referee before he overturned Saliba’s yellow card to Red card

Jamie Carragher expressed his concerns on social media about whether Howard Webb intervened after William Saliba received a red card in Arsenal’s match against Bournemouth.

Initially, referee Rob Jones issued Saliba a yellow card for fouling Evanilson during the first half of Saturday’s Premier League match at The Vitality Stadium. However, after a VAR review, the card was changed to red.

Saliba’s expulsion means he will miss the crucial match against Liverpool next weekend. Carragher speculated on Webb’s involvement in the decision, noting that the PGMOL chief was seen on his phone in the crowd. He questioned, “Was Howard Webb involved in the decision to issue Saliba a red card?”

Following Saliba’s dismissal, Arsenal fans voiced their anger at Webb and the PGMOL, chanting, “F*** Howard Webb.” At halftime, the game remained scoreless.

This situation adds to Mikel Arteta’s challenges, as he is already without captain Martin Odegaard due to injury, though he suggested on Friday that Odegaard might be available for the Liverpool match. The Gunners also missed Bukayo Saka, who was injured during international play.

The Premier League issued a statement clarifying that Saliba’s yellow card was upgraded to red during the match because he had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The statement explained that after the referee issued a yellow card for the challenge, VAR recommended a review, leading to the red card.

Arsenal has faced several controversial decisions this season, including red cards for Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard, both shown second yellow cards for delaying restarts, with Trossard’s occurring during last month’s title clash with Manchester City.