Premier League reveals four wrong VAR interventions this season – and claims accuracy has improved

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The Premier League says its Video Assistant Referee system (VAR) has made 13 errors so far this season, including four “incorrect interventions”.

Refereeing has been in the spotlight this season amid growing scrutiny over the quality of officiating at the top of the English game. A number of contentious decisions have stoked calls for VAR to be pared back or even scrapped, while the controversy around referee David Coote, who was sacked after a video surfaced showing him call the former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a “German c***”, only intensified criticism of officials.

But a review of all decisions by the Premier League’s key match incidents (KMI) panel concluded that only 13 mistakes had been made by VAR up to the end of January, across 230 games, down from 20 errors at the same point last season.

The 13 VAR errors are made up of four incorrect interventions and nine missed interventions, when the video assistant should have stepped in but didn’t. The panel found 66 of the 70 VAR interventions so far this season had been correct.

“Nobody here underestimates the significance and the impact of one single error,” said chief football officer Tony Scholes said. “We know that one single error can cost clubs. Points and results can cost managers positions, potentially players their place.”

While the Premier League did not specify the missed interventions, Scholes did set out the four occasions where VAR intervened and the wrong decision was reached, in the opinion of the KMI panel.

The data covered match round 23, where Michael Oliver sent off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. The league has not clarified whether the panel deemed that as an incorrect on-field decision, a missed intervention, or both. The red card has already been rescinded on appeal by an independent commission.

The accuracy of final decisions on KMIs is reported to be at 96.4 per cent, up from 95.7 per cent.

VAR’s four incorrect interventions

1. Dango Ouattara disallowed goal

Ouattara thought he had headed a winner for Bournemouth against Newcastle in August and the goal was given on field by referee David Coote. However, VAR Tim Robinson ruled it out for handball. As he deemed it a factual decision rather than subjective, he did not send Coote to the monitor to review it. The KMI Panel felt the goal should have stood.

Dango Ouattara was denied what looked certain to be a last-gasp winning goal for Bournemouth (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

2. Penalty against Matthijs De Ligt

The Manchester United defender’s challenge on West Ham forward Danny Ings in a match on October 27 was not penalised on field by Coote, but Oliver, as VAR, suggested a review. Coote gave the penalty, which Jarrod Bowen scored in stoppage time to give the Hammers a 2-1 win. That defeat proved extremely costly for United head coach Erik ten Hag, who was sacked the next day. The KMI panel verdict added insult to injury for Ten Hag.

Manchester United’s Matthijs de Ligt (centre right) protests to referee David Coote (centre left) after he awarded a penalty to West Ham (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

3. Red card for Christian Norgaard

Brentford player Norgaard caught Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on the knee as he slid in attempting to score in a match on November 23, but referee Chris Kavanagh did not award a free-kick. He was advised to review the incident for a possible red card by VAR Matt Donohue and promptly dismissed the Dane, a decision the KMI Panel disagreed with.

Christian Norgaard was dismissed after a VAR review (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

4. Offside against Chris Wood

Forest were initially awarded a fourth goal for Nikola Milenkovic against Southampton last month but VAR intervened and suggested Anthony Taylor review the decision on the grounds that Wood, who was in an offside position, was interfering with play. The goal was disallowed but the KMI Panel felt it should have been given.