Referee Stuart Attwell and VAR Michael Salisbury faced scrutiny after a controversial incident during a match between Brighton and Tottenham. While Attwell has avoided any repercussions, Salisbury will not oversee a Premier League match this weekend but Arsenal get no VAR reprieve.

• Stuart Attwell, who faced scrutiny for a controversial incident during the Brighton and Tottenham match, is assigned as the fourth official in the West Ham against Arsenal game.
• Despite calls for both Attwell and Salisbury to be dropped, Arsenal will still have to deal with John Brooks as VAR in their upcoming match against West Ham.
• Brooks was previously removed from overseeing an Arsenal game against Manchester City due to a high-profile mistake in a Brighton match.

Brighton left frustrated by controversial decision

The contentious moment occurred when Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fouled Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma in the box during a critical point in the match.

With the score level at 1-1, the penalty could have significantly impacted the outcome. However, Attwell did not award a penalty in real-time, and Salisbury failed to recommend a review at the pitch-side monitor.

Tottenham went on to win the game 2-1, leaving Brighton furious, not without reason and not for the first time this season.

PGMOL chief Howard Webb apologises

Howard Webb, PGMOL chief, was forced to apologise to Brighton for the third time this season following the incident.

Despite calls for both officials to be dropped, Attwell has been assigned as VAR for the Wolves versus Brentford match and as the fourth official for West Ham vs Arsenal game on Sunday.

The disaster that is David Coote will be in charge of Arsenal’s game at the London Stadium with John Brooks on VAR. You might remember Coote allowing Neal Maupay to foul Gabriel in the box when Arsenal lost to Everton.

As for Brooks, he was VAR when Arsenal had four penalty claims turned down in the dramatic 3-2 win over Bournemouth thanks to Reiss Nelson’s last-gasp winner.

Past disciplinary actions against officials

Webb has previously dropped officials for making high-profile mistakes, including in Brighton games.

For example, the aforementioned VAR John Brooks was removed from Liverpool’s clash with Everton and Arsenal against Manchester City after incorrectly ruling out a Pervis Estupinan goal for Brighton at Crystal Palace.