Former Premier League referee and PGMOL chief, Howard Webb, expressed his view that Matteo Kovacic was "extremely fortunate" to escape a red card during Manchester City's loss to Arsenal. This incident occurred when Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to secure a late victory at Emirates Stadium. Kovacic had been booked for a challenge on Arsenal's Martin Odegaard in the first half, and the video assistant referee (VAR) reviewed the foul but did not recommend a red card, as it wasn't deemed a "clear and obvious error" by the on-field referee Michael Oliver.
Webb, in an episode of 'Match Officials Mic'd: Up,' explained why Kovacic was fortunate to remain on the field, noting that the decision was inconsistent with a similar red card given to Chelsea's Malo Gusto during their loss at Aston Villa. Webb emphasized the importance of consistency in refereeing, acknowledging that each situation might have unique nuances.
Kovacic made another challenge on Declan Rice later in the first half but avoided a second booking. Webb suggested that Kovacic could have been dismissed in a game where both teams had vied for the title, but Oliver chose not to "have a negative impact on the game by overreacting."
The program also reviewed the disallowed goal by Luis Diaz in Liverpool's match against Tottenham Hotspur, wrongly ruled offside. Webb revealed that referee Simon Hooper was unaware of the error until after the match, and explained that there are limitations in intervening once a game has restarted after an error is recognized.
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