Sky Sports have reiterated that Howard Webb has no ability to communicate with officials during games after the unfounded social media controversy that arose during Arsenal’s shock 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth.
Gunners defender William Saliba was sent off just half an hour into Saturday evening’s Premier League contest at the Vitality Stadium for dragging down Cherries forward Evanilson just inside the Bournemouth half.
The French centre-back was initially shown a yellow card by referee Robert Jones, before the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Jarred Gillett deemed that Saliba had denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and recommended an on-field review that resulted in Jones upgrading the yellow to red.
Webb was shown by television cameras in the stands at the Vitality with an earpiece in while using his phone during the game, leading some to falsely question if the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) had somehow been involved in the decision.
However, Sky Sports reiterated after the game that the referees’ chief is merely able to listen to the communication between the VAR and on-field officials during matches, with no means by which to get involved in the process himself.
"There have been one or two people you might have seen on social media speculating about what Howard Webb was up to in the crowd, the head of the PGMOL," said Sky host David Jones. "He's got that earpiece in as well, he's got his phone out.
"But what we understand he is doing is listening to a match feed of the VAR officials and their communication with the on-field officials, as we do as broadcasters. But he has no input, he has no ability to talk to the officials who are actually making the decisions.”
Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp added: "He's not trying to [influence things], he's watching the game. For anyone to think [he'd] have the audacity or the ego to think, 'I'm going to influence this game’ - we're talking about Premier League football now, I think it's nonsense for anyone to even question that.
"He's at the game, he's listening to the audio. He can't turn round to the referee. We've got VAR there and everybody looking at it, why would he even dream to get involved?"
Saliba will now serve a one-match domestic ban, meaning he will miss Arsenal’s high-profile home showdown with Premier League title rivals Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium next weekend.
