Here are the worst VAR rulings in Premier League history following the ridiculous judgements made during the Spurs vs. Liverpool match.
- Football’s controversial and contentious use of video assistant refereeing (VAR) has angered players, supporters, and officials.
- VAR has frequently disallowed goals for insignificant offside violations, among other inconsistent and biassed judgements.
- Liverpool has been particularly impacted by incorrect VAR rulings, including a goal that was disallowed and penalties that were not awarded to them.
After Liverpool’s contentious loss at Tottenham, the topic of video assistant refereeing has once again made headlines, serving as a stark reminder to the footballing world of how contentious the use of video technology in football has become as well as how inadequate, inconsistent, and brutally unfair the application process is. The adoption of VAR was first praised since many people considered football to be “outdated” and that naked-eye refereeing judgements frequently had a negative impact on games. But since its debut during the 2019–2020 season, controversy has never been far away. From the technology’s propensity to scrutinise marginal offside judgements, which frequently results in goals being disallowed for minute infractions that are difficult to detect in real-time, to the subjective interpretation of apparent and obvious errors, disruptive delays in gameplay, and more.
In the end, this has caused frustration among players, spectators, and officials alike, undermining the sport’s spontaneity and emotional components while also reducing the power of on-field referees and fostering a contentious debate about VAR’s function and effects in the beautiful game. It is safe to assume that many football supporters, players, and managers are at their wits’ end. Even retired referee Mike Dean noted that decision-making may be unpredictable and frequently corrupted by personal relationships. The top 10 VAR disputes in Premier League history are shown below.
10. It’s not over until it’s over…
While not directly contested, many fans on both sides of the Manchester United and Brighton fence were perplexed merely because the referee followed the correct guidelines. Referee Stuart Atwell blew the full-time whistle with the teams tied at two goals each and each team believing they had earned a point. However, Attwell gave United a penalty after examining a probable handball and bringing back all 22 players. Bruno Fernandes took the opportunity and expertly dispatched it, giving the Red Devils all three points.
9. Rodri’s handball at Goodison Park
In his post-game press conference, Everton manager Frank Lampard made it clearly plain how he felt, saying, “A three-year-old could tell you that is a penalty.” Everton was fighting off the possibility of relegation in a tight match with Man City when Rodri appeared to handle the ball in his own penalty area just minutes after the Toffees fell down 1-0. Everton was denied a fought-for point after VAR once more failed to find any foul play.
8. Pickford’s season-ending challenge on Virgil van Dijk
It’s fair to argue that Liverpool has been the target of an absurdly high number of terrible VAR judgements. In this case, the Reds were seeking to defend their Premier League title as they began the 2020–21 season. Virgil Van Dijk was dealt a cruel blow during a fiercely contested Merseyside Derby when Everton keeper Jordan Pickford collided with the big Dutchman while handling a corner, leaving Van Dijk crumpled on the ground and suffering cruciate ligament damage that would keep him out for the remainder of the season. Jordan Pickford didn’t leave the field after his reckless challenge, and because VAR didn’t give Liverpool a penalty after they failed to win the ball, the game ended evenly.
7. Harry Kane studs-up challenge on Andy Robertson
Beyond the most recent fiasco, the Liverpool vs. Spurs VAR dispute dates back to a match between the two teams in December 2021. After making a studs-up challenge on Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson, Harry Kane should have abandoned the play. After the game, when both teams had scored two goals and Robertson had been dismissed, Tottenham’s star player stated that he had mistakenly believed he had won the ball.
6. Alex McCarthy clatters Phil Foden
When Southampton and Alex McCarthy visited Manchester City in March 2021, they had a forgettable afternoon. The Saints would go on to lose the game 5-2, but it was the referee’s inaction when Alex McCarthy pulled Phil Foden down in the box after a strong touch that cost them the game. The incident was cleared despite VAR reviewing it, costing Man City an obvious penalty.
5. Fabian Balbuena’s Red Card
West Ham and Chelsea engaged in an all-London match, and Fabian Balbuena was given a clearly bad decision. As Ben Chilwell closed in on him, the Paraguayan defender hurriedly lifted the ball up the pitch. The subsequent error by the match officials definitely set many Hammers supporters’ blood on fire. Balbuena clearly slipped after clearing the ball, the ground giving way beneath his planted foot. As a result, the referee and others in the VAR room assessed his kicking leg to have been an excessive use of force and a hazardous challenge. Balbuena was consequently dismissed, and West London emerged victorious 0–1. Even though the red card was ultimately overturned, West Ham’s chances of tying the score were already lost.
4. You’re Fired… Arsenal vs. Brentford offside controversy
Leandro Trossard’s goal gave the title-chasing Gunners a 1-0 lead against Thomas Frank’s Bees during an Arsenal vs. Brentford match at the Emirates in February 2023. Ten minutes later, though, Ivan Toney’s highly disputed goal for Brentford allowed them to tie the score. The uproar surrounding the VAR officials stemmed less from the striker’s goal than from their failure to recognise that Christian Norgaard was in an offside position when he received the ball.
The goal was incorrectly given because Lee Mason, the person in charge of the game’s technology, focused the VAR probe on Ethan Pinnock, who was judged to be onside. Arsenal lost two points as a result of Lee Mason’s abrupt dismissal from his post, which was a very costly error in judgement.
3. Liverpool at the wrong end of a VAR ruling at Old Trafford
Liverpool vs. Manchester United is one of English football’s most storied and heated rivalries. Twice a season, the two titans square off in a match that is frequently extremely heated. Unbeaten Liverpool lost 1-0 at Old Trafford in October 2019 owing to a terrible error made by the referee and those at Stockley Park. The Red Devils regained control after Divock Origi of Liverpool was clearly fouled, went up the other end, and scored through Marcus Rashford to give United a lead. The goal was upheld despite a review, and Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were rightfully furious.
2. A Hawkeye controversy at Villa Park
Although it is true that Hawkeye has been in existence long before VAR, Stockley Park’s VAR officials could have easily overruled this choice. Ollie Norwood of Sheffield United took a free kick during an Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United match at Villa Park in June 2020, and the ball looked to cross the goal line after hitting the underside of the crossbar and dropping down. Orjan Nyland, the custodian for Villa, was able to clear the ball, preventing the goal from being recognised. A deeper look revealed that the Hawkeye goal-line technology system, which is meant to notify the referee automatically when the ball crosses the line, did not do so.
Because Hawkeye, which is renowned for its accuracy and dependability, had never before malfunctioned in this way, the episode was exceedingly unique. It sparked intense criticism and discussion over football’s usage of technology, notably goal-line technology. The Blades and Chris Wilder were rightly incensed by the flagrant injustice that would have given them the victory after the game ended in a scoreless draw. As expected, the judgement had an impact on the Premier League as a whole, with the Villans maintaining their position at the top by one point on the last day and Bournemouth and Watford being demoted to the Championship. As a result, Villa’s point against Sheffield United at home thanks to the incorrect Hawkeye call kept them in the Premier League.
1. Tottenham vs. Liverpool: The worst VAR decisions in Premier League history?
It was a classic instance of “someone’s 0 having to go” because neither team had lost entering this match. As it turned out, Liverpool was to blame, although not for their own fault. At 0-0, the Reds suffered a severe blow when Curtis Jones was wrongfully sent off for a tackle that was deemed to put his opponent in danger. Unfortunately, the Reds received more complaints as well.