BREAKING : William Saliba has been officially cleared to participate in the upcoming match against Liverpool…

William Saliba has been officially cleared to participate in the upcoming match against Liverpool.

This decision was made this morning following intervention from FIFA, which also indicated that the referee involved would face sanctions, with points to be shared today.

Jamie Carragher expressed his concerns on social media regarding Howard Webb’s potential influence in the decision after Saliba received a red card during Arsenal’s game against Bournemouth.

Initially, referee Rob Jones issued a yellow card to the French defender for a foul on Evanilson in the first half of Saturday’s Premier League match at The Vitality Stadium.

However, VAR later intervened, resulting in the yellow card being upgraded to red.

As a consequence of the red card, Saliba will be unavailable for the crucial match against Liverpool next weekend.

Carragher speculated about Webb’s involvement, pointing out that the PGMOL chief was seen using his phone in the stands during the incident.

In a now-deleted post on X, Carragher questioned, “Did Howard Webb have a role in the decision regarding Saliba’s red card?”

Arsenal supporters expressed their frustration with Webb and the PGMOL, chanting, “F*** Howard Webb,” as the match remained scoreless at halftime.

Saliba’s suspension adds to the challenges faced by Mikel Arteta, who is already without captain Martin Ødegaard due to injury, although there are indications that Ødegaard may return for the match against Liverpool.

Additionally, Bukayo Saka is also unavailable after suffering an injury while on international duty.

The Premier League released a statement explaining the rationale behind upgrading Saliba’s yellow card to red, stating that he denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

“The referee initially issued a yellow card to Saliba for a challenge on Evanilson,” the statement noted.

“However, VAR determined that Saliba had denied a clear goal-scoring chance and recommended an on-field review, leading the referee to change the card.”

Arsenal has encountered a number of controversial decisions this season, notably the red cards issued to Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard.

Both players received their second yellow cards for delaying restarts, with Trossard’s incident taking place during last month’s title match against Manchester City.