Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has said that the decision to disallow Rayan Cherki’s goal for Manchester City against Liverpool was the correct outcome and an example of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) being applied as intended.
Webb addressed the incident after debate around whether the goal should have been allowed to stand under a more flexible interpretation of the laws. He acknowledged that supporters and commentators often call for greater use of “common sense” in officiating, but stressed that referees and VAR officials must operate within clear, written regulations.
According to Webb, the process followed in assessing Cherki’s goal adhered to established VAR protocols. Match officials on the field made the initial decision, which was then checked by the VAR team for any clear and obvious error in the buildup or at the point of scoring. After reviewing the relevant angles and phases of play, the VAR supported the on-field call to disallow the goal.
Webb said that while football’s lawmakers and refereeing bodies regularly review guidance to ensure the game flows and remains fair, there are boundaries on how far subjective interpretation can go. In his view, the Cherki incident fell firmly within an area where the letter of the law had to be applied, rather than stretched in the name of common sense. He underlined that consistency across matches and competitions is a priority, and that means similar situations must be judged in the same way, even if individual cases feel harsh.
The disallowed goal has become another focal point in the broader discussion about VAR’s role in elite football. Webb reiterated that the technology is designed to correct clear and significant mistakes, not to re-referee every aspect of a match. He maintained that in this case the system functioned properly: the incident was checked, the laws were applied as written, and the outcome aligned with current VAR guidelines.
While he recognised that reactions will differ among fans and analysts, Webb stood by the officials involved, arguing that the decision on Cherki’s goal illustrates both the strengths and the necessary constraints of the modern VAR framework.
