Premier League referees' chief Howard Webb says Sven Botman's foul on Nicolas Jackson was a "high-end reckless challenge" but backed the video assistant referee's decision not to intervene for a red card.

Botman was shown a yellow card - the correct sanction for a reckless tackle - by referee Jarred Gillett for the Newcastle centre-back's 18th minute challenge on Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson on Saturday.

On Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb said that "robust tackling" is "part of the English game" but that referee still had "a responsibility to ensure players' safety".

"The referee in the moment, on the ground, sees it as a reckless challenge - no doubt a high-end reckless challenge - as Botman comes in and gets a touch on the ball," Webb said.

"There's obviously some speed he comes in with. The VAR looks at that decision and tries to identify whether that was clearly wrong.

"We don't want the referee's decision to be re-refereed by the VAR. We want the referee to have ownership of the decision and the VAR to only step in when there's an element that's clearly wrong.

"So if the VAR had seen strong stud contact from Botman's extended leg into the ankle or shin of Jackson, or there had been a closing of the scissor, I think we'd have probably come out with a different outcome after the VAR had looked at it.

"But he doesn't see that. He realises it's subjective, and he allows it to stay on the field with the referee's call standing.

"Equally, if that had been a red card, for sure it would've been check complete by the VAR as well.

After seven rounds of Premier League games there have been 21 VAR interventions, with nine of those subjective. At the same point last season, there had been only three, with zero subjective.