John Brooks has been replaced as the VAR official for Liverpool v and Arsenal v following his huge mistake on Saturday.
Brooks was the VAR official for ’s 1-1 draw with Brighton on the weekend and made a crucial error by disallowing a first-half Pervis Estupinan goal for offside, with the lines drawn incorrectly, as the Seagulls were forced to settle for a point against their rivals to damage their European qualification hopes.
Andre Marriner will now assume VAR duties for the Merseyside derby on Monday instead while David Coote will be the VAR official for the Gunners’ huge clash against Premier League title rivals City – after controversy in their draw with Brentford – which may have implications in the race for this season’s trophy.
Brentford’s equaliser against Arsenal in Saturday’s 1-1 result was only allowed to stand after VAR official Lee Mason .
PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) was forced to apologise to both Arsenal and Brighton following the weekend’s action.
‘PGMOL can confirm its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion to acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process in their respective Premier League fixtures on Saturday,’ they said in a statement.
‘Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL.’
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, speaking on Sky Sports on Monday, shared his thoughts on the controversial Toney goal against Arsenal and admitted it was down to ‘human error’.
‘It’s a human error bought on by the fact that time is eating away and three minutes are an eternity to a spectator,’ Gallagher said. ‘You can hear them, and that’s got to play on his mind. He’s just closed it off a bit too early.’
He added: ‘Lee Mason made two checks and they were very comprehensive – it took three minutes.
‘He has deemed Ethan Pinnock is in an offside position – there’s no doubt about that. He’s decided because the ball is so high, he cannot head the ball so he’s not interfering with play because he’s not touched it.
‘Does he impact on a defender? I think the VAR looks at it and he’s behind it, so it’s difficult. He judges it as not a foul, which is a subjective element.
‘He’s concentrated on that so much that I think he switches off then. He’s forgotten to complete it through.
‘It’s not panic, but it’s ‘I’ve taken three minute and haven’t found an offence, people are going to wonder why I’ve checked it so often’.
‘He then doesn’t check the Norgaard offside, and that’s where the problem occurred.
‘It’s about saying on Tuesday ‘you’ve taken three minutes, you’re not going to get that back, what’s wrong with taking another 15 or 20 seconds, pointed it out’ and then we wouldn’t be standing here at 11am today.’
On the disallowed Brighton goal, Gallagher said: ‘It’s just a human error. They put the lines across, go through James Tomkins’ body. If you look across Marc Guehi is further behind, there’s no doubt about that.
‘If they had drawn the line through his body, Estupinan would’ve been onside and the goal is given.
‘It’s one you have to say sorry for. It’s human error made by VAR.’
On both incidents, Gallagher added: The thing you have to get into [them] mentally is, irrespective of how long it’s going to take, you’ve to go right the way through with A, B, C and D.
‘If it doesn’t stop at D, you have to go on. As long as it takes, sorry Lee, but you’ve got to do it. Not just Lee, but everyone in the VAR room.
‘I think that’s what will happen. It’s not just about Lee or John Brooks. It’s about everybody – and we’re all in it together – having the same mental approach to it of ‘the time is of no consequence, the decision is the most important’.’
