Kenya, Aug. 31 -- The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has officially admitted that the VAR made a big mistake when it ruled that Josh King's first-half goal for Fulham against Chelsea in their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on August 30, 2025, was not valid.
The PGMOL VAR mistake in Josh King's goal has sparked new discussions about how reliable the video assistant referee is in English football. This is especially true since Fulham manager Marco Silva called the call "unbelievable" after his team lost 2-0.
After looking at Rodrigo Muniz's accidental contact with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, the 18-year-old King's goal, which would have been his first in a senior game, was called off. This led PGMOL chief Howard Webb to call Fulham directly and tell VAR official Michael Salisbury to step down for the next Liverpool vs. Arsenal game.
Chelsea is now at the top of the table after Joao Pedro's header and Enzo Fernandez's penalty sealed the win. This incident shows how people are still frustrated with VAR calls that don't meet the "clear and obvious error" standard.
The argument started in the 22nd minute, when Fulham took advantage of a quick counterattack. Muniz protected the ball near midfield before passing it to Sander Berge.niz protected the ball near midfield before sending a pass to Sander Berge.
Berge then let King go, and King ran into the box and slid the ball past Robert Sanchez at the near popost.e fans who had travelled to the game went crazy with excitement, but referee Rob Jones was told by VAR Michael Salisbury to look at via videof Muniz's foot accidentally landing on Chalobah's boot during a spin move.
After a long look at the pitch, Jones said, "After review, Fulham number nine makes a careless challenge and stands on the Chelsea defender's foot; therefore, we disallow the goal."
Former referee Mike Dean and other pundits on Sky Sports criticised the decision, calling it a "poor, poor call" and saying that the VAR went too far by not following the "referee's call" principle since contact was minimal and unavoidable in a physical sport like football. The addition of eight extra minutes to the first half exacerbated Fulham's situation.
Chelsea scored with a late header from Pedro, and then a VAR-awarded penalty for a foul on Pedro Neto in the second half was converted by Fernandez. Silva, who was pacing angrily on the sideline after the game, said, "VAR is not here to re-referee the game."
The disallowed goal upset him, as it changed the momentum and unfairly increased the injury time, even though the game hadn't truly stopped. This is the second game in a row that Fulham has felt cheated by the referees.
Last week, in their first game against Manchester United, there was a push on Calvin Bassey that VAR missed. Enzo Maresca of Chelsea defended the calls, saying the foul was "clear". However, PGMOL's admission supports critics who say that VAR has been used inconsistently early in the 2025-26 season. The effects went beyond Stamford Bridge.
John Brooks took Salisbury's place for the high-stakes Liverpool vs. Arsenal match at Anfield on August 31. This showed PGMOL's commitment to accountability as calls for VAR reforms grew louder. Keith Hackett, the former head of PGMOL, agreed, calling the intervention "ruining the game" and telling referees not to overanalyse incidental contact.
Fans on social media sites like X have flooded timelines with anger, using hashtags to call for clearer rules. Experts say that the technology is to blame for the flow being disrupted; the review alone took an average of four minutes. This PGMOL VAR mistake in the Josh King goal incident is part of a bigger story about how people are looking closely at how the Premier League is run.
Clubs such as Fulham are considering organising formal feedback sessions to advocate for modifications to the intervention process.As the season progresses, these kinds of admissions could encourage the league to enhance VAR training, thereby enhancing the quality of the game rather than detracting from it.
For though This case shows how hard it is to find the right balance between accuracy and entertainment in modern football. It also shows how hard it is to keep track of the PGMOL VAR error in the Josh King goal incident.
Its quick response, which included talking directly to the teams that were affected, shows that it is moving towards being more open. However, supporters anticipate a decrease in calls that alter match outcomes and undermine trust in the system.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.