Howard Webb explains why Mateo Kovacic wasn’t sent off during Arsenal 1-0 Man City | OneFootball

Highlights

Much has been made of VAR and its use at Stockley Park in recent weeks with the latest talking point being whether Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic was lucky to avoid a red card for his pair of challenges on Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

The Croatia international remained on the pitch and, despite being on the losing side, Arsenal will still feel aggrieved by Michael Oliver’s decision not to send him for an early bath. Now, a few days on, PGMOL chief Howard Webb has given his opinion on a litany of recent refereeing decisions on Tuesday night’s instalment of Match Officials Mic’d Up.

VAR audio released for Malo Gusto’s red card incident

It wasn’t just Kovacic’s situation that caught the attention of the football echo chamber, as Malo Gusto’s red card for Chelsea against Aston Villa has also split opinion. The Frenchman was sent off for his challenge on Lucas Digne, despite the on-field referee initially deemed the tackle as ‘fine’.

While the folks at Stockley Park agreed with Jarred Gillett’s decision that a yellow card was correct, their minds quickly changed following a closer look. The Australian referee was ordered to carry out an on-field review by the team due to a ‘buckling ankle’ and contract above said ankle.

On Mic’d Up, Webb offered his thoughts and believed that the decision made on the occasion was the current one when asked by former Manchester United and Liverpool striker Michael Owen.

“Yeah, I think that’s a clear red card. I think the point of contact, the mode of contact, the full studs with a turned foot above the ankle, that real significant buckle of the ankle suggests that the player’s safety has been endangered through an excessive force challenge. I expected that one to be intervened by VAR and I think the red card outcome is correct.”

Watch: Full audio of Malo Gusto’s red card review

 – Tuesday, 10 October 2023

Howard Webb’s thoughts on Mateo Kovacic’s challenges

In an all-intense affair between Manchester City and Arsenal, referee Michael Oliver was under copious amounts of pressure to ensure every decision he made was well-informed and as accurate as humanly possible. Though, many pundits and fans alike believe the Englishman, 38, has been under the microscope given he failed to send Kovacic off during the affair.

Two robust tackles were made by the Croatian in quick succession. The first – made on Gunners captain Odegaard – received a yellow card, which was deemed the correct on-field decision follow a review.

A mere six minutes later and the former Real Madrid man lunged in again, this time on Rice, which elicited a bellowing reaction from the home faithful as they felt as if Kovacic had now given Oliver ample reason to issue a red card, though – upon review – the midfielder once again was allowed to remain on the pitch.

Webb believed that the midfielder’s tackle was a poor one and that there would have been few complaints had a red card been shown. But, comparing the tackle to the one made by Gusto on Digne, the PGMOL chief pointed out several differences which stopped VAR intervening and recommending a red card.

“This clearly a poor tackle and I am pretty confident if a red card had been given by Michael Oliver on the day it would have been a very straightforward, “Check complete”. But he doesn’t, he issues a yellow card. I think there are a few differences here: the player, Kovacic, comes into the tackle with the right leg. “There’s some weight on the left leg as he lunges in, the right heel hits the ground and then the contact is a little bit more to the side with an upright foot as opposed to a side-on foot that we saw with (Malo Gusto’s foul on Lucas Digne). “A few small differences I think that led the VAR to think that the on-field decision here of yellow card wasn’t clearly and obviously incorrect and therefore check completing it, feeling that if he had intervened it would have been a re-refereeing of that decision by the referee on the field.”

Webb was then quizzed whether – in his honest opinion – Kovacic was lucky to not receive his marching orders for his second offence on his Arsenal counterpart Rice, to which he replied:

“I do. I mean obviously the VAR can’t get involved, second yellows are something that the VAR is not able to get involved in, but I think he was an extremely fortunate player to stay on the field of play. The referee, one of our best referees, one of the best referees in the world, Michael Oliver will no doubt review that.”

Arsenal fans, despite seeing their team win on the day, will no doubt still feel aggrieved that Kovacic didn’t get his marching orders after that, a decision which would have made their task on Sunday much easier. Meanwhile, Webb will be thankful that the international break is here, offering a break to the refereeing controversy that has taken the Premier League by storm in recent weeks. Watch his explanation for yourselves below.

 – Tuesday, 10 October 2023

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