Love it or loathe it, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has changed the face of football forever. No longer is the game a question of subjective officiating, where referees can exercise a degree of common sense and pity on helpless players. Instead, a mysterious cabal of yellow clad men relay instructions to the referee about even the minutest infringement, with often devastating consequences for teams on the wrong side of the ruling.

Although the Premier League is renowned for big stories, It’s fair to say therefore that VAR has caused unprecedented controversy with managers and players alike bemoaning its impact on the game. When those involved in the game provide such a negative reception for the technology, its capacity to cause upset is notable. 

The impact and controversy surrounding VAR is also not exclusively a footballing problem. There are many industries, not least the sports betting industry, that are scrambling to adapt to the introduction of this new technology. When a controversial goal is chalked off that could have landed a punter a winning bet for example, the consequences can be extremely upsetting and leading bookmakers are striving to work out the best way to instil confidence in the services they offer whilst the goalposts are constantly being moved.

Over recent months, leading bookmakers across Europe have been heavily promoting offers like free bets as a way for punters to wager on match outcomes and events without having to part with an initial cash stake, There are now a plethora of bookies free bets offers at sites like WhichBookie for eagle-eyed bettors to utilised, but this solves only part of the problem and this is no doubt an issue that will take some time to solve.

In the months and years ahead there is set to be plenty of debate about the best ways to use VAR, and whether changes to how the technology is used should be implemented. However, for now we bring you some of the most controversial VAR decisions that have been made in the Premier League to date,

Let’s review some of the most confusing and frustrating decisions VAR has doled out so far in the Prem. 

Sheffield United 1 – 0 West Ham United – 10^th January 2020

When VAR was introduced, many fans were fearful of its capacity to cause late heartbreak by ruling out equalisers or game winning goals. That’s exactly what happened for the West Ham faithful who travelled up to a chilly Bramall Lane last January.

With the Hammers trailing in the last minutes of the game, Declan Rice set up Robert Snodgrass who slid past Dean Henderson to earn a point for David Moyes’s men. Or so they thought.

On review of the goal, referee Michael Oliver ruled it out for handball, after the ball was literally headed onto Rice’s arm during the build-up by the Sheffield defence. Rice himself publically called for a change in the rules following the match, and this season referees have been ordered to be more lenient in applying the handball ruling. 

Manchester United 1 – 1 Liverpool – 20th October 2019

Nothing could stop Liverpool’s march to the Premier League title over the 2019-2020 season, but they might have achieved an even more impressive points tally had VAR overturned Marcus Rashford’s opener in the game at Old Trafford.

Victor Lindelof clearly took the legs of Divok Origi away during the build-up to United’s goal, and despite the Liverpool players swarming Martin Atkinson, but the goal stood. Sadio Mane also had a first half strike ruled out for handball, before Adam Lallana rescued a point for Liverpool in the second half. 

Jurgen Klopp was not his usual cheerful self, and has gone on to become one of the most critical managers of VAR. Perhaps his grievances began on that autumn afternoon in Manchester.

Crystal Palace 4 – 1 Leeds United – 7^th November 2020

A bad day in South London was made worse for Leeds United via one of the harshest VAR decisions given to date. 

Patrick Bamford thought he had got the equalizer for Marcelo Bielsa’s men with a gorgeous chipped finish. However, he has judged to be offside as his arm, whilst pointing where he wanted his assist delivered, was offside. 

For most, what made the decision even more ridiculous was that the offside decision is meant to apply to goal-scoring parts of the body only. Given that footballers are forbidden from using their arms by the pretty well established rule of handball, it seemed bizarre for Bamford to fall foul of the rules. 

A bad day at the office for Leeds for sure, but also for VAR.

Liverpool 3 – 1 Manchester City – 10^th November 2019

It is testament to the inconsistency of VAR that Liverpool experienced both injustice and fortune from the technology’s ruling in the space of less than a month. Just weeks after they were pretty much robbed at Old Trafford, they were themselves on the right side of VAR in a crunch battle against Man City at Anfield. 

As City attacked early in the game, the ball clearly hit Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander Arnold on the hand, but the protests were waved away, and in the same move, Fabinho blasted in from range to give Jurgen Klopp’s men the lead. 

Perhaps cries of “LiVARpool” after the match were unfair, as decisions are out of the player’s hands, it was certainly no comfort to City fans who still maintain this game went a long way in taking the Premier League trophy out of their hands at the end of the campaign.