Veteran referee and PGMOL chief Howard Webb has admitted that a key mistake was made during the refereeing of the game between Arsenal and Manchester City over the weekend.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited head, who refereed in the Premier League and various international tournaments for over a decade, was speaking on the latest episode of Match Officials Mic’d Up: the new show which digs into officiating and VAR controversies of top-flight football matches.
While the latest edition covered various decisions from recent football matches — including breaking his silence on the highly controversial VAR error and subsequent leaked audio from the Spurs vs Liverpool the week prior — one instance they also chose to focus on was Mateo Kovačić‘s potential sending off,
The Croatian midfielder, who signed for City this summer, brought down Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard with what Webb dubbed “clearly a poor tackle”, going on to say that “if a red card had been given by Michael Oliver on the day it would have been a very straightforward check complete”. Instead, he only saw yellow.
🗣 "[Michael Oliver] doesn't want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting."
PGMOL chief Howard Webb admits Manchester City's Mateo Kovačić was "extremely fortunate" not to be sent off against Arsenal 🟥 pic.twitter.com/nrSjokPGHE
Howard Webb smirks as he admits the City midfielder was very lucky to stay on the pitch against Arsenal.
As the 52-year-old attempts to explain to former England striker and co-presenter, Michael Owen, the angle and position of the foot in relation to wear it lands on Ødegaard’s ankle was slightly different to that of Chelsea’s Malo Gusto, who saw a straight red after VAR overturned an initial booking just the day before.
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Insisting that the video referees at Stockley Park didn’t see enough to correct the first official in this case and didn’t want to risk “re-refereeing” the game, he ultimately said he could see why the first decision stood despite protests in the stadium.
However, as anyone who watched the game will know, just 15 seconds later, Kovačić put in a similarly poor challenge on Declan Rice and despite a chorus of home fans chanting “off, off!”, as well as Gary Neville saying “he’s in trouble” during the commentary, the 29-year-old still somehow stayed on the pitch.
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Here’s the second mistimed tackle just moments later:
When asked by Owen if he thought he was lucky to stay on after this second rash lunge almost immediately after the previous one, Webb said that although by the laws of the game “the VAR obviously can’t get involved with second yellows… he was an extremely fortunate player to stay on the field.”
Arguing the other side a little and reassuring his belief that Michael Oliver is “one of the best referees in the world” at present, he did go on to say that the ref will no doubt go back and review his own decision in this case and that he was obviously trying to avoid “a negative impact on the game by overreacting”.
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At the start of this new Premier League season, rule changes included referees being told to be more lenient when it comes to challenges and, where possible, to refrain from stopping play for some challenges in order to let the play run more freely.
It was the only incident that arose during the game either, as a touchline tiff also occurred just after full-time with stadium footage shedding new light on what exactly happened.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
11th October 2023 
