Manchester United have been sent a clear Howard Webb message after a controversial conclusion to their Premier League draw with West Ham
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb has been told he should speak to referee Andrew Kitchen after Aaron Wan-Bissaka was controversially not sent off during Manchester United’s draw with West Ham. The former United defender somehow avoided a red card for a late sliding challenge on Patrick Dorgu despite having been booked just moments earlier.
The Hammers equalised between those two Wan-Bissaka incidents with Soungoutou Magassa scoring the rebound of Jarrod Bowen’s shot that was cleared off the line. Diogo Dalot had put United ahead earlier in the second half.
United pushed for a winner but could not find a way past Alphonse Areola again which saw them forced to settle for a point. Had Wan-Bissaka been dismissed, it could have been a far different ending with former Premier League referee Keith Hackett left bemused by the call.
He has since suggested that Webb should be having a debrief with referees to understand their thought-process. Hackett, speaking to Football Insider on The Final Whistle, said: “I was just fooled by it. Watching it, I was saying, ‘You’re off, mate. You’re going to have an early Christmas present,’ but nothing happened.
“The second yellow was worse than the first, and the second yellow was more like orange. On its own, I could have had it sit as a red. This was absolute nonsense. When we have situations like this, it’s important for Howard Webb to talk to the referees.
“He should say, ‘Talk me through this situation.’ Why didn’t you issue a yellow card? What have you seen that negates a yellow card?“
Prior to that incident, Kitchen had an impressive game in the middle with Hackett keen to compliment the 29-year-old before then delivering a brutal verdict in the immediate aftermath of the clash.
He had earlier stated: “Whilst I think that Andrew Kitchen had a very good game, I would like him to review the two Wan-Bissaka challenges, particularly the last one. On a yellow card, you put in a reckless challenge, he should have had a second yellow followed by the red.”
“He’s a lucky guy. Andrew, you’ve got to keep focused up until the final whistle.”
Following his relatively high-profile error, Kitchen was not selected to officiate a Premier League match in game-week 15 nor did he referee in the Championship.
Once again, United are playing on Monday evening as they face winless Wolves. Ruben Amorim has stated that his team must be focused for the task at hand.
He said: “Everything can happen, and that will change. There is no team in the Premier League history that didn’t win one game. So, it can be any game.
“So, we need to try to improve, to rest the players, work really well, and prepare a tough match because, with us, it’s always a tough match.”
United host Bournemouth the following week alongside a trip to Aston Villa before Christmas. Prior to 2026 starting, United welcome Newcastle United and Wolves to Old Trafford.
