February 11, 2023: Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton Brighton’s hopes of ending their winless streak against Crystal Palace were dashed during their visit to Selhurst Park in February 2023. The pivotal moment came when Pervis Estupinan found the back of the net in the first half.
However, VAR referee John Brooks made a crucial error in drawing the offside line from the wrong defender, incorrectly disallowing the goal. This unfortunate mistake not only cost Brighton a potential victory but also left fans feeling robbed in a fiercely contested race for European places.
February 26, 2022: Everton 0-1 Manchester City In a clash against the formidable Manchester City in February 2022, Everton found themselves on the wrong side of a contentious VAR decision.
A blatant handball by Rodri inside his own penalty area went unnoticed by the referee, denying Everton a clear penalty. VAR’s baffling conclusion that the referee’s error was not “clear and apparent” left Everton manager Frank Lampard fuming. He criticized VAR referee Chris Kavanagh, prompting an apology from Mike Riley, the head of referees, following the match.
August 14, 2022: Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham During the early stages of the 2022-23 season, a peculiar incident marred the clash between Chelsea and Tottenham.
Spurs defender Cristian Romero was caught on camera pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in the dying moments of the match. Astonishingly, VAR failed to spot this blatant violation during the goal review, allowing Harry Kane to score a late equalizer. Referee Mike Dean commented on the incident, highlighting the ongoing learning process for even the most experienced officials in the Premier League.
August 14, 2023: Manchester United 1-0 Wolves While Manchester United emerged victorious, Wolves displayed an impressive performance at Old Trafford during the opening weekend of the 2023-24 season. However, their disappointment was compounded by a controversial incident.
Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic was seemingly struck by Andre Onana while attempting to collect a free-kick in the final seconds of the match. Referee Simon Hooper showed no hesitation, and VAR Michael Salisbury shockingly chose not to intervene. PGMOL later issued an apology, but it did little to ease Wolves’ frustration.
February 11, 2023: Arsenal 1-1 Brentford In a Premier League fixture between Arsenal and Brentford, VAR oversight became the center of attention.
Lee Mason’s intense focus on Ethan Pinnock’s potential interference moments before the goal led to an oversight. VAR failed to check Christian Norgaard’s offside position, which played a crucial role in Ivan Toney’s equalizing goal for Brentford. This error occurred at a pivotal juncture in the title race, prompting an apology from PGMOL to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who demanded the return of the lost points.