Brighton will face Wolves at the Amex Stadium in their upcoming Premier League match this Saturday. Meanwhile, Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has drawn attention from the FA for comments implying that Premier League referees may “subconsciously” favor bigger clubs.
O’Neil’s remarks followed Wolves’ 2-1 home loss to Manchester City, where John Stones’ last-minute goal was controversially awarded after a VAR review by referee Chris Kavanagh. Initially ruled offside, the decision was reversed, with Bernardo Silva’s position near Wolves’ goalkeeper Jose Sa being a key factor in the debate.
O’Neil clarified that he doesn’t believe referees intentionally favor top teams but questioned whether unconscious bias could influence decisions. He pointed out that officials, like anyone, might be influenced by the context of a bigger team like Man City scoring a crucial goal, compared to a team like Wolves. He has since been asked to provide further explanation to the FA.
The controversy centered on whether Silva, who was in an offside position, obstructed the goalkeeper’s view during Stones’ header. VAR judged that Silva did not impact Sa’s ability to see the ball, leading to the goal being awarded.
Wolves will now look ahead to their next challenge, a trip to fifth-placed Brighton this Saturday.
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