Major VAR change confirmed for Liverpool vs Everton and Arsenal vs Man City after huge error

John Brooks has been removed from Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duty for Monday's Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, with the change confirmed just hours before kick-off.

Brooks has been dropped after making a huge error in Saturday's 1-1 draw between Crystal Palace and Brighton.

He wrongly disallowed Pervis Estupinan's goal for offside - forcing Howard Webb, the head of Premier League referees, to issue a public apology.

Brooks has now been taken off VAR duty for the Merseyside derby, as well as Wednesday's crucial match between title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates.

The Mirror's John Cross confirmed the changes, tweeting: "From PGMOL… John Brooks has been replaced as VAR for both Liverpool v Everton tonight and Arsenal v Manchester City on Weds.

"Andre Marriner and David Coote will assume VAR duties in his place tonight and Weds respectively.

"Other appointments announced tomorrow."

Webb apologises to Brighton and Arsenal

On a shambolic afternoon for VAR, Estupinan's goal for Brighton against Palace was chalked off after Brooks drew the offside line from the wrong defender.

There was also a controversial call in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brentford, when VAR official Lee Mason allowed Ivan Toney's equaliser to stand after he forgot to draw the necessary offside lines as part of his checks.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body that is responsible for match officials in English professional football, later confirmed that Webb had contacted both Arsenal and Brighton to apologise.

"PGMOL can confirm its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion to acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process in their respective Premier League fixtures on Saturday," read a statement.

"Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL."

Webb has now called an emergency meeting on Tuesday for all Premier League referees to attend at Stockley Park, where VAR officials sit to make decisions for games, to discuss the errors.

It comes after former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett called for Mason to be sacked.

"Howard Webb is now in charge of the PGMOL. One of the first things he should do is dismiss permanent VAR operator Lee Mason," tweeted Hackett.

"This weekend Mason lets another referee down by not disallowing the Brentford goal for offside. These are decisions that VAR should get right."

He added: "He is a serial offender he must be fired. He is not good enough."