Howard Webb Confirms VAR Mistakenly Gave West Ham a Penalty Against Man United
Howard Webb admits video assistant referee misjudged the key moment in West Ham's 2-1 win over Manchester United.
- Webb acknowledges the penalty awarded to West Ham was a misjudgment by VAR
- The challenge by Matthijs de Ligt on Danny Ings wasn’t a penalty, according to Webb
- On-field referees are not obligated to follow VAR recommendations
Referees’ chief Howard Webb has acknowledged that West Ham should not have been awarded a penalty during Erik ten Hag’s final game as Manchester United manager on October 27.
The penalty decision followed a controversial review by video assistant referee (VAR) Michael Oliver, after Matthijs de Ligt’s challenge on Danny Ings.
Although the on-field referee, David Coote, initially waved play on, he awarded the penalty after reviewing the incident on the pitch-side monitor. Jarrod Bowen converted the penalty, securing a 2-1 victory for West Ham, which led to Ten Hag’s dismissal less than 24 hours later.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Mic’d Up programme, Webb explained that the VAR misinterpreted the situation by focusing too much on De Ligt’s leg, which made contact with Ings but not the ball. He stated, “I think he was too focused on that aspect. I don’t think it was a penalty kick.”
Webb also clarified that on-field referees are not obligated to follow the VAR’s recommendations and can maintain their original decisions.
His comments came amidst the suspension of David Coote, who is under investigation for allegedly making inappropriate remarks about Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, following a video that surfaced online.
