Summary
Referee Chris Kavanagh and his assistant Nick Greenhalgh are not chosen for a Premier League game this weekend after errors during the FA Cup match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United. The mistakes included missing a clear offside and making an incorrect penalty decision. Although under criticism, Kavanagh recently earned a promotion in UEFA's referee rankings.
Key Facts
- Chris Kavanagh and Nick Greenhalgh faced criticism for their officiating in an FA Cup match.
- They did not call a penalty for Newcastle and missed offside calls for Aston Villa's goal.
- The match did not use VAR, which will be available from the fifth round of the FA Cup.
- The Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) uses performance assessments to select referees for games.
- Despite the errors, Kavanagh was recently promoted to UEFA’s elite list of referees.
- The incorrect decision involved a handball by Villa's Lucas Digne just inside the penalty area.
- Referee errors led to Newcastle scoring from a free-kick instead of getting a penalty.
- Another assistant from the match, Gary Beswick, has been assigned to a different game this weekend.
