Referee Chris Kavanagh and assistant Nick Greenhalgh have been stood down from Premier League duties following several errors in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United. Newcastle won 3-1 amid controversy over offside calls, a potential red card, and a handball decision. The incident has reignited debates on the use of video assistant referee technology in earlier rounds.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has decided not to select Chris Kavanagh and his assistant Nick Greenhalgh for any Premier League fixtures this weekend. This follows their handling of the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Villa Park on Saturday, where Newcastle United defeated Aston Villa 3-1. Video assistant referee (VAR) technology is not used until the fifth round of the competition.
Key incidents included a clear offside against Tammy Abraham for Villa's opening goal in the 14th minute, scored from Douglas Luiz's free-kick. Later, Lucas Digne's high challenge on Jacob Murphy resulted in a yellow card rather than a red. There was also a possible offside against Dan Burn on Newcastle's equalising goal. The most contentious moment came when Digne handled the ball inside the penalty area, but Kavanagh awarded a free-kick outside the box instead. Newcastle's Sandro Tonali scored from that free-kick in the 63rd minute.
Former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney described the handball decision as "one of the worst decisions I have ever seen" on Match of the Day. Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot was sent off in the first half for a foul on Murphy.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed mixed views on VAR, suggesting officials might avoid tough calls when relying on it. "There’s an argument to say that, because when VAR is there, there’s always a: ‘Well, I won’t give that, but let’s check it.’ I think then your decision-making maybe isn’t as sharp," Howe said. He added he was "torn" over VAR's impact on the game's spontaneity but wished it had been available for some decisions against his team.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery stated the match showed why VAR is necessary: "Today it makes sense to (understand that) VAR is necessary to help the referees."
Kavanagh, who joined UEFA's elite referee list in December alongside Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, faces scrutiny from an independent Key Match Incidents panel. The other assistant, Gary Beswick, will officiate Nottingham Forest versus Liverpool on Sunday.
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has called for PGMOL head Howard Webb to resign amid ongoing officiating blunders in the FA Cup.
