Premier League release second VAR statement after red card overturned
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West Ham midfielder Guido Rodriguez received a reprieve from VAR after he was sent off against Southampton. Rodriguez was dismissed for what appeared to be a two-footed tackle on Kyle Walker-Peters in the 52nd minute. Referee Lewis Smith issued the red card before he was sent to the monitor by the VAR to watch the replay.
The replay showed Rodriguez had slipped into the challenge and Smith therefore changed his decision to a yellow card. The Premier League match centre tweeted: "The VAR recommended an on-field review of the referee’s call of red card for Rodríguez. Upon review, the referee overturned his original decision of serious foul play to a yellow card.".
The decision came on the same day that Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran was dismissed for serious foul play after standing on the back of Newcastle centre-back Fabian Schar. On that occasion, Duran was issued a red by referee Anthony Taylor and it was upheld by VAR. The match centre tweeted: "The referee issued a red card to Durán for violent conduct. The VAR checked and confirmed the referee’s call.".
West Ham benefited from the VAR call, with Jarrod Bowen soon giving them the lead with a toe-poke from Niclas Fullkrug's flicked header. The Hammers should have been ahead earlier in the match, but Carlos Soler slammed his effort onto the crossbar from a cut-back. Saints had chances to pull ahead, too, but Matheus Fernandes and Paul Onuachu couldn't beat Lukasz Fabianski.
There were 10 minutes added on at the end of the first half after Fabianski had to be taken off on a stretcher. The 39-year-old goalkeeper was hurt in a collision from a corner and had to be replaced by Alphonse Areola in the 36th minute. West Ham held on to beat Southampton 1-0 and hand new Saints boss Ivan Juric a defeat in his first game since replacing Russell Martin.
