Chris Kavanagh dropped from Premier League weekend duties following Villa controversy

• Referee Chris Kavanagh omitted following criticism over FA Cup errors at Villa Park
• PGMOL stresses accountability despite his elite status
• Debate reignites over officials and reliance on VAR

Chris Kavanagh has not been appointed to referee a Premier League match this weekend following a series of high profile errors during last Saturday’s FA Cup tie between Aston Villa and Newcastle.

Kavanagh, along with assistants Gary Beswick and Nick Greenhalgh, came under intense scrutiny for their performance at Villa Park. With no VAR in operation for the fourth round, a number of decisions provoked strong reaction and contributed to Newcastle’s 3-1 win despite playing much of the contest with 10 men.

Among the incidents were a failure to spot Tammy Abraham in an offside position for Villa’s opening goal, a missed shin high challenge by Lucas Digne on Jacob Murphy that could have resulted in a red card and a free kick awarded for handball when Digne was clearly inside the penalty area.

Beswick will serve as an assistant during Sunday’s meeting between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, but neither Kavanagh nor Greenhalgh feature in this weekend’s Premier League appointments. Professional Game Match Officials Limited believes in officials being accountable for their errors, a principle that explains Kavanagh’s omission.

Despite the decision, Kavanagh remains highly regarded within the game. He was recently promoted to UEFA’s elite list and regularly referees in the Champions League.

The controversy has also reignited debate around the influence of VAR. Wayne Rooney, speaking as a BBC pundit during the match, described the handball decision as “one of the worst” he had ever seen. He later suggested on the Wayne Rooney Show podcast that referees may have become overly reliant on VAR.

“I think there’s over reliance on VAR,” Rooney said. “Officials are used to having that support. When it’s not there, they have to make the decision and they’re probably used to keeping the flag down and waiting.”

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott rejected the idea that officials hide behind technology. “That’s not how their minds work or how their processes work,” he said. “Whether you have VAR or not, the principles remain the same.”

VAR will return for FA Cup matches from the fifth round onwards. Premier League referees are encouraged to trust their judgement, with the competition operating the lowest VAR intervention rate among Europe’s major leagues and maintaining that only clear and obvious errors should be overturned.