Just hours before Liverpool’s highly anticipated Premier League clash with Arsenal, there has been a change in officiating personnel.
Liverpool are set to host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday in what’s being billed as the standout fixture of the weekend. Both teams come into the match having won their opening two league games of the season.
However, controversy from Saturday’s game between Chelsea and Fulham has led to a late adjustment. Michael Salisbury has been removed from his role as VAR for the Liverpool vs. Arsenal match and will be replaced by John Brooks.
The Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) acknowledged that Salisbury made an error in disallowing Fulham’s goal against Chelsea. According to journalist Ben Jacobs, the intervention did not meet PGMOL’s established “high bar” for VAR involvement.
During the Chelsea-Fulham match, Josh King appeared to give Fulham the lead, but Salisbury advised referee Rob Jones to review the incident, suspecting a foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah in the buildup. Jones subsequently ruled the goal out, determining Muniz had fouled Chalobah—despite Muniz being in control of the ball and the contact appearing accidental.
Following the incident, PGMOL chief Howard Webb reached out directly to Fulham to address the controversy.
Fulham manager Marco Silva expressed frustration after the match, criticizing the impact of the VAR decision on the game. “In the first half, my team played outstanding football,” Silva said. “We weren’t faking or sitting back—we played properly. But every decision from VAR and the referee changed the game significantly. Disallowing that goal was unbelievable.”
He added, “We’ve had meetings with officials, and one key point was that VAR isn’t supposed to referee the match. I’d rather not say more because I want to avoid fines and stay on the bench next week. But we’ve had so many decisions go against us already this season—it’s been tough.”
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