Howard Webb dissects key decision in Newcastle v Chelsea match | OneFootball

Howard Webb, PGMOL and the Premier League have opened up discussions between the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for key incidents this season.

In this latest instalment of “Match Officials Mic’d Up” in 2024/25, Howard Webb, chief operating officer at PGMOL, the organisation that oversees the League’s match officials, has discussed a number of recent incidents.

The idea is to go through the conversations between the match officials to give fans a greater knowledge of how decisions are made.

The officials on the pitch do not hear all the conversations from the VAR hub in Stockley Park.

Amongst the recent incidents that Howard Webb has dissected, is one key one involving Newcastle United, from Sunday’s victory over Chelsea.

Premier League report on Howard Webb looking at the decision that ended up with Nicolas Jackson sent off, Newcastle defeating Chelsea 2-0 on Sunday 11 May 2025:

Incident:

Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson catches Newcastle United’s Sven Botman with his elbow when going to challenge for a ball.

What the match officials did:

Referee John Brooks awards Newcastle a free-kick and a yellow card to Jackson. However, after review the VAR officials England and Natalie Aspinall both believe it is a red-card offence and send Brooks to the RRA. After review Brooks sends Jackson off for serious foul play.

Michael Owen:

“In terms of Jackson looking where he is about to place his arm, how much do you take that into consideration? How much do officials when they’re looking at what to what to dish out?”

Howard Webb:

“I want to say that we thought this was a really good intervention by the VAR to recommend a review for a red for Nicolas Jackson. Of course, when players are competing for aerial balls, some contact will happen and sometimes accidental contact can happen when a player is jumping and their arms are flailing.

“The important point around Jackson looking at Botman is that it tells us that he’s focusing on Botman’s position. So when then the arm gets thrust into the side of the face of Botman, it’s really difficult to say that’s an accident.

“And with this one, he’s not jumping up towards the ball, he’s jumping into Botman with that leading arm, having known where Botman was because he’s looked at him a couple of times. And then there’s real force because of that dynamic of him moving into Botman with that leading arm and you see Botman’s head go backwards on the contact.

“So serious foul play needs excessive force or brutality, We think that exists in this situation, a dangerous position for Botman to be in. And therefore we think the red card is the right outcome and a good rectification of the incorrectly awarded yellow card.”

Newcastle 2 Chelsea 0 – Sunday 11 May 12pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Tonali 2, Bruno 90

Chelsea:

Jackson red card 35

Possession was Newcastle 45% Chelsea 55%

Total shots were Newcastle 15 Chelsea 10

Shots on target were Newcastle 6 Chelsea 3

Corners were Newcastle 2 Chelsea 8

Touches in the box Newcastle 39 Chelsea 22

Newcastle United team v Chelsea:

Pope, Botman (Miley 55), Schar, Burn, Livramento, Gordon (Krafth 65), Tonali, Bruno (Longstaff 94), Barnes, Isak (Wilson 94), Murphy

Subs:

Dubravka, Lascelles, Osula, Neave, Ruddy

(Newcastle 2 Chelsea 0 – Match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players – Read HERE)

(BBC Sport comments from ‘neutrals’ – Interesting on Newcastle United after Chelsea 2-0…Read HERE)