Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct?
After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.
In this week’s VAR Review: Were Manchester United hard done by with the penalty which resulted in their defeat at West Ham United? Should Arsenal have been given a spot kick against Liverpool? And was Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven lucky not to be sent off?
Possible penalty: De Ligt challenge on Ings
What happened: A cross was played into the area in the 87th minute, with the ball eventually dropping between Matthijs de Ligt and Danny Ings. Both players moved toward it, with the West Ham striker going down holding his shin. Referee David Coote didn’t see any foul and play continued, but it was looked at by the VAR, Michael Oliver.
VAR decision: Penalty, scored by Jarrod Bowen.
VAR review: Whether it was right or wrong comes down to how VAR is applied in the Premier League, what we’ve come to expect from the video assistant.
In European competition, where pretty much any unexpected lower-body contact appears to result in a penalty, it would come as no shock to see the VAR get involved. In the Premier League, not so much,
There are some grounds here for a foul, because while both players do go into the challenge in a similar way, there is slightly more force from De Ligt. But that doesn’t mean there’s enough in it for the VAR to get involved. It’s more a collision between two players, from which Ings comes off worse.
(Though the ball touched the hand of Ings as it bounced up, this would be considered accidental and not a handball offence.)
The Premier League has been determined to get the term “referee’s call” into the lexicon this season, and this would be a perfect example. If Coote gave the penalty, you could see a reason. But it doesn’t reach the clear and obvious threshold in English football to send the referee to the monitor.
VAR review: Arsenal fans will be triggered by the goal scored against them by Newcastle United almost a year ago to the day. In that match at St James’ Park, there was uncertainty about Joe Willock keeping the ball in play in the buildup to Anthony Gordon scoring the only goal of the game.
So, why was the VAR in this game able to intervene and disallow the goal, yet wasn’t in Newcastle-Arsenal? It all comes down to the position of the play and the available camera angle.
