Referee Anthony Taylor’s assignment level has been lowered to the Championship division due to a controversial penalty call made during the recent match involving Wolves and Newcastle. This incident occurred when Newcastle took a 2-1 lead at Molineux over the weekend. Taylor awarded a penalty against Hwang Hee-chan, alleging that he fouled Fabian Schar while attempting to clear the ball.
Gary O’Neil strongly criticized the decision, labeling it as ‘outrageous’, despite Hwang eventually scoring the equalizing goal in the 2-2 draw. Newcastle’s manager, Eddie Howe, openly acknowledged that the decision was a subject of contention, a sentiment shared by the club’s iconic figure, Alan Shearer.
Shearer stated, “I did not believe it was a penalty. I can comprehend why the referee made the call during the live action, but even after reviewing the incident multiple times in the replays, I still fail to see why it was not overturned. If such a decision were made against me, I would be absolutely furious.”
While the PGMOL hasn’t formally apologized to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a widely criticized decision, the referee, Anthony Taylor, has faced consequences. He has been demoted and will now officiate a Championship match between Preston and Coventry this Saturday, marking his first time refereeing in the second tier since 2019. Taylor’s role in the Premier League has been reduced for the weekend, as he won’t be refereeing any top-flight games, despite previously officiating Champions League and EURO 2024 qualifying matches this season.
The controversial decision at Molineux was subjected to extensive VAR review before it was ultimately upheld, and the VAR official for that match, Jarred Gillett, retains his position in the Premier League. He will serve as the VAR official for the Fulham vs. Manchester United match on Saturday and as the referee for the Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa match on Sunday.
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