'Was Howard Webb involved?' - Jamie Carragher's deleted tweet after William Saliba is controversially sent off for Arsenal following VAR intervention

The controversial moment occurred early in Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth when Leandro Trossard misplaced a pass near the halfway line, inadvertently putting his teammate Saliba in a precarious position. The loose ball gave Brazilian forward Evanilson the opportunity to race towards the goal, but as he pursued the ball, the French defender bundled him to the ground.

Initially, referee Rob Jones issued a yellow card for Saliba, seemingly deeming the incident as not severe enough for a sending-off. However, the game took a different turn when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) advised Jones to review the decision on the pitch-side monitor. As the VAR check unfolded, cameras caught Howard Webb, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), watching the game from the stands, using his phone, adding fuel to the brewing controversy. The VAR, Jared Gillett, suggested that Saliba denied Evanilson a clear goal-scoring opportunity which convinced Jones to change his mind and flash the red.

Shortly after the red card was issued, Carragher posted a tweet suggesting that Webb may have had some involvement in the decision. He wrote, "Was Howard Webb involved in the decision-making of the red card of Saliba??"

However, Carragher quickly backtracked, deleting the tweet not long after it went live.

Saliba's red card is Arsenal’s third of the current campaign, with previous dismissals for Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard also raising eyebrows. The repeated incidents have caused frustration for the North London club, with persistent questions being raised over inconsistency in officiating decisions.

With Saliba set to serve a suspension, he will miss Arsenal's crucial Premier League fixture against Liverpool next weekend. However, he will still be available for selection when Arsenal take on Shakhtar Donetsk in their midweek Champions League clash.