Jamie Carragher makes big claim on Howard Webb involvement behind Arsenal star William Saliba’s red card vs Bournemouth in now-deleted tweet
Jamie Carragher has questioned Howard Webb's involvement in Arsenal's William Saliba getting a straight red card during their 2-0 loss against Bournemouth on October 19 at the Vitality Stadium. It was the first loss of the Premier League season for the Gunners who are currently third on the table behind Liverpool and Manchester City.
In the 30th minute, William Saliba was shown a red card for fouling and allegedly denying Evanilson a clear goalscoring opportunity. Although referee Rob Jones initially showed a yellow card, a quick VAR check made him change it to red.
In a now-deleted tweet, former Liverpool player and football pundit Jamie Carragher questioned whether PGMOL chief Howard Webb was involved in Saliba's dismissal. He wrote:
"Was Howard Webb involved in the decision-making of the red card for Saliba??"
Images of Webb checking his phone and touching what seems like an earpiece during the game-changing moment have cast further doubt on an alleged interference.
After losing one of their key defenders, Arsenal conceded two goals within nine minutes in the second half. In the 70th minute, Ryan Christie buried the ball into David Raya's net with the help of a clever assist by Justin Kluivert.
Nine minutes later, Kluivert converted a penalty to make it 2-0 for the Cherries. After the win against Arsenal, Bournemouth have gone up to tenth place in the Premier League table with 11 points from eight games.
Arsenal's William Saliba will not face a three-match ban despite getting sent off against Bournemouth
William Saliba was banned for only one match despite getting a straight red card against Bournemouth. This is because the Frenchman committed an offense known as a professional last-man foul. Without Saliba's foul, Evanilson would've had a clear goalscoring opportunity by going one-on-one with goalkeeper David Raya.
Red cards for professional last-man fouls lead to a one-match ban in the Premier League. Meanwhile, red cards for dissent warrant a two-match ban. Finally, if a person is sent off for a dangerous tackle involving gross misconduct, they are handed a three-match ban.
Therefore, the Frenchman will miss the clash with table-toppers Liverpool on October 27 at Emirates Stadium.
William Saliba's red card also marked the first sending-off in his senior club career. In 92 games for the Gunners, he has amassed 12 yellow cards across competitions. Meanwhile, Arsenal have already had three players sent off in just eight games - more than any side in the league so far.