Premier League is one of the top five European leagues and consequently every action comes under immense scrutiny. This Pessimism further amplifies for a tradition altering technology. VAR in the Premier League has always come under a grey area of opinions. There have been claims of the game becoming more mechanical, and the absence of ‘Magical Moments‘ post VAR.
Due to absence of complete clarity in VAR decision making there is distrust . Certain cases of wrong decisions despite of the technology have reflected badly on it. The ‘VAR controversy‘ has become so prominent that it takes place every footballing week. While some cases are genuine and deserve attention and review, other times managers use VAR as a scapegoat for below par performances.
Chelsea avoid blues through VAR reviews
VAR reviews and reviews on VAR are both subjective to the perspective of the parties involved. Chelsea are the club which has coincidentally benefitted the most from VAR. There would have been a deficit of 3 points in their Premier League tally without the intervention of VAR. Clearly, Chelsea are winning the VAR war. They were given a crucial penalty following a VAR review against Arsenal. While Liverpool had a winning goal against the Blues disallowed on the opening day of the season.
According to Express, positions of Manchester City and Tottenham would remain unchanged without VAR. While Arsenal and Liverpool would both have one less point on the board. Manchester United , meanwhile, would have two more points if VAR was not in use which would see them move up one place by swapping positions with seventh-placed Brighton. Burnley would also have two extra points but would still be in the bottom three.
How VAR fares in the Premier League
Premier League is known for its intense atmosphere, with VAR handling and altering decisions, it is natural to be criticized in the heat. Managers who have previously praised VAR, start questioning its credibility when the decisions turn against them. There are cases like unfair ruling out of Luiz Dias’s goal against Tottenham, allowing Gordon’s winning goal against Arsenal, Romero’s red card and subsequent penalty awarded against Chelsea, etc. These have shrouded VAR in a cloud of suspicion, inviting huge backlash from fans and managers alike. For example, Ange commenting about the overuse of the technology, Arteta calling it a ‘disgrace‘ and Klopp aiming snide remarks at the technology.
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