Referee Anthony Taylor has faced consequences for his controversial decision to award a penalty against Wolves in their match against Newcastle.
During the game at Molineux, Taylor gave a penalty against Hwang Hee-chan, claiming he fouled Fabian Schar as Schar attempted to clear the ball. This decision was met with strong criticism, with Gary O’Neil describing it as ‘scandalous,’ even though Hwang went on to score, resulting in a 2-2 draw.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the contentious nature of the decision, and club legend Alan Shearer also expressed his disagreement, stating, “I didn’t think it was a penalty.” The decision was reviewed multiple times via VAR, but it was not overturned.
In response to the widespread criticism, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) did not issue a formal apology to Wolves. However, Anthony Taylor has been demoted from refereeing Premier League games this weekend. Instead, he will officiate a Championship fixture between Preston and Coventry on Saturday, marking his return to the second tier after not officiating a Championship game since 2019.
While Taylor will serve as the VAR official for Luton’s game against Liverpool on Sunday, he has not been assigned to referee a top-flight match this weekend. This is notable, given that he has previously officiated Champions League games and EURO 2024 qualifying matches this season.
Jarred Gillett, the VAR official for the Wolves vs. Newcastle game, has retained his place in the Premier League. He will be the VAR official for Fulham’s match against Manchester United on Saturday and will officiate the game between Nottingham Forest and Villa on Sunday.