Referee Explains Why He Went Against VAR and Denied Man City Penalty

Pep Guardiola went against the grain and started without Erling Haaland at centre-forward against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday lunchtime – and the reason why referee Farai Hallam, who was taken charge of his first-ever Premier League outing, went against VAR to not award Manchester City a penalty despite going to the monitor has been revealed.

Omar Marmoush, in the place of the talismanic Haaland, opened the scoring in the sixth minute as he latched onto the end of Matheus Nunes’ pinpoint delivery into the Wolves box.

Antoine Semenyo, one of City’s January additions, then added a second on the cusp of half-time after Bernardo Silva slipped in the Ghana international, who cut in to curl a left-footed finish beyond the outstretched arm of Jose Sa and into the bottom corner and Guardiola’s side took a two-goal lead going into the break.

Why Referee Farai Hallam Didn’t Overturn Penalty Decision After Heading to VAR Monitor

Marmoush almost doubled his side’s lead in the 35th minute as he went within inches of a glorious second strike as the Egyptian latched onto Khusanov’s long ball and brought it down with enviable skill, beating Wolves and Colombia defender Yerson Mosquera in the process. With only Jose Sa to beat from close range, Marmoush did so but only for his low shot to bounce off the base of the far post and back into the Wolves goalkeeper’s gloves.

However, a VAR check took over the spotlight for a potential handball in the box by Mosquera prior to Marmoush’s gilt-edged chance.

The City striker’s attempted flick struck the outstretched left arm of the Colombian centre-back and Hallam consulted the pitch side monitor following loud appeals inside the Etihad Stadium and Darren England and Samuel Barrott, the two figures on VAR duty, telling him to re-visit his on-field decision.

The inexperienced referee, however, did not overturn his decision and give Guardiola’s men a chance to double their lead from 12 yards out. He addressed those inside the Eithad Stadium by saying: “After review, the ball hits the arm of the Wolves player, which is in a natural position, so the on-field decision will remain.”

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) to explain Hallam’s decision-making to not overturn his initial decision, the Premier League wrote: “After VAR review, the referee retained the on-field decision of no penalty to Manchester City. Referee announcement: ‘After review, the ball hits the arm of the Wolves player, which is in a natural position, so the on-field decision will remain.'”

Typically, when a Premier League referee is sent to the pitch side monitor by VAR, the outcome is that they usually give a penalty – but Hallam remained true to his initial decision and didn’t succumb to the pressure.

Mike Dean and Clinton Morrison Dissect Hallam’s Decision on Sky Sports

Soon after the incident rose to be looked into by Hallam, the panel on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday dissected whether the man in the middle had made the correct decision or not, and Clinton Morrison explained: “He’s going to have a look at the moment. He does get his shot away and hits the post, Marmoush, he’s been lively.

Morrison, a former centre-forward for the likes of Crystal Palace and Coventry City, also asked for the opinion of Mike Dean. “So he’s a new referee – it’s his first game. Darren England’s told him to go and have a look at the monitor, and he’s said he’s stuck with his decision. He’s gave no penalty. Mike, what do you think?” he asked.

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“If I’m being honest with you, the referee’s position on-field is good, I think the decision was given on-field and he hasn’t give it on-field. Fair play to him for going to the screen,” said Dean, a former Premier League official.

“He looked at it, I would say, 20 or 30 times and I think the longer he looks at it he’s going to stick with it. I kind of get his arm was in a natural-ish position, but I think the distance as well was a bit harsh of him to give it,” Dean – who refereed 561 Premier League matches during his 22-year career in the top flight, spanning from 2000 to 2022 – concluded.