Refereeing in the English Premier League has always been a contentious issue, often leading to debates over officiating errors. However, EPL refereeing chief Howard Webb claims that the frequency of mistakes made by officials has significantly decreased.
According to Webb, who heads the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), refereeing errors this season have dropped by 80% compared to last season, largely due to the impact of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
He stated, “We have an independent panel, including former players, that reviews each decision every week. This panel—operating independently from us at PGMOL—has reported only two VAR errors this season, down from ten at this point last year,” Webb shared on the Stick to Football podcast.
It’s worth noting that one of the more controversial decisions this season was the red card issued to Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes during their 0–3 loss to Tottenham. Webb has since admitted that the dismissal was a mistake.
