Premier League referee John Brooks was not totally to blame for last weekend’s embarrassing VAR error ahead of returning to action against Arsenal, it has been claimed.
The official was at the centre of controversy last weekend during Crystal Palace ’s 1-1 draw with rivals Brighton at Selhurst Park. Ecuadorian defender Pervis Estupinan thought he had given the Seagulls the lead only to see his strike ruled out for offside following VAR intervention.
It was then revealed that the decision to strike-off his goal was incorrect after the lines were drawn from James Tomkins instead of Marc Guehi - the latter being the closest Palace defender to goal. However, it appears that Brooks was not totally to blame for the gaffe.
According to The Athletic, a VAR technician was given the task of drawing the lines for offside and not the referee himself. That will likely have been no consolation for Brooks who saw his Premier League contribution limited following the mistake.
He was set to be on VAR duty for Liverpool ’s 2-0 success over Merseyside rivals Everton on Monday, whilst he was also scheduled to be at Stockley Park for Manchester City ’s crucial victory over title rivals Arsenal. Brooks was taken off duty and was replaced by Andre Marriner and David Coote respectively.
Meanwhile, the PGMOL were forced to get in touch with Brighton - and indeed Arsenal - in the face of Ivan Toney’s controversial equaliser. A statement read: “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.
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“Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL.”
Elsewhere, PGMOL chief Webb also gathered officials together for an emergency meeting in the face of the backlash. Further decisions have been made regarding the appointment of match officials following the meeting.
Lee Mason - the man responsible for allowing Toney’s equalising goal against Arsenal - has not been assigned a match during the upcoming round of Premier League fixtures. Elsewhere, Brooks will aim to avoid more controversy after being handed a return.
It has been confirmed that he has been appointed as the fourth official for the Gunners’ trip to the Midlands on Saturday to face Aston Villa. Ahead of that clash, former Premier League official Mark Clattenburg has spoken out against VAR and its introduction.
He said: “When I see these referees now week in, week out, there is a fear, and they’re scared to make a decision. The problem is when you’re scared to make a decision you don’t make one, and then the VAR doesn’t make one either.”
