VAR in the Premier League: Fulham controversy, Man Utd penalties and refereeing errors

VAR: The Weekly Debate in the Premier League

Every weekend, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) generates controversy in the Premier League. We analyze the key decisions, exploring the process and the application of the rules of the game.

Chelsea vs. Fulham: Correct Decision?

The match between Chelsea and Fulham was marked by the disallowed goal of Josh King. The play, reviewed by VAR, involved a possible foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah.

In the 21st minute, King scored, but VAR, led by Michael Salisbury, intervened. The Premier League demands a high threshold for VAR intervention. Muniz stepped on Chalobah’s foot, a contact that, according to the analysis, did not influence the play. Referee Rob Jones validated the VAR decision, although with doubts.

VAR put too much emphasis on Muniz’s foot on Chalobah’s, losing the complete context. At normal speed, there’s nothing.

Play analysis

The incident highlights human errors in VAR. Salisbury was replaced in a subsequent match, indicating the referees’ assessment of the play.

Manchester United vs. Burnley: Decisive Penalty

The match between Manchester United and Burnley was decided by a penalty in added time. Referee Sam Barrott called a penalty for a foul by Kyle Walker on Mason Mount, but VAR, in charge of Stuart Attwell, overturned the decision.

The VAR review determined that there was no foul contact, justifying the cancellation.

Sunderland vs. Brentford: Penalties and Controversy

The match between Sunderland and Brentford saw two penalty decisions reviewed by VAR. In the 57th minute, Reinildo Mandava was penalized for holding Nathan Collins, but the penalty stood. Kevin Schade missed the penalty.

In the 82nd minute, Rico Henry was penalized for a foul on Habib Diarra, resulting in a penalty for Sunderland, scored by Enzo Le Fée. Although it was a less clear decision than the previous one, VAR did not intervene to change it.

Next Steps

The head of the referees will present a report on the most outstanding VAR errors. The implementation of a new VAR performance coach, Kevin Blom, seeks to improve decision-making in the future. Controversy is inevitable, but the key lies in minimizing the errors that generate widespread condemnation and consequences for the referees.