Is VAR working better than some pundits, fans and players think in the Premier League?

Every Premier League weekend seems to bring more controversy around the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, with the use of the technology questioned or strongly criticised by players, pundits and managers.

Meanwhile, referee Lee Mason left the PGMOL in February after failing to draw VAR’s offside lines and rule out a Brentford goal against Arsenal.

VAR has been described as “seriously flawed” and “inefficient” by pundits Gary Lineker and Danny Murphy respectively, while Brighton captain Lewis Dunk has questioned the point of it after being on the wrong side of a number of controversial decisions this season.

PGMOL knows not everything is perfect and referees’ chief Howard Webb has, on a handful of occasions, had to contact clubs to acknowledge errors have been made.

However, there is a feeling within PGMOL that the noise generated by certain decisions is obscuring the reality of an improving situation.

PGMOL does not feel the overall situation is as bad as the one being portrayed and it was keen for figures showing improvement in VAR decisions since the World Cup to be made public.

A review of incidents by the independent five-person Key Match Incidents Panel, following the restart after the Qatar finals, suggests fewer errors than first thought.

What do the latest VAR statistics say?

• 12 errors have been identified since the World Cup in the 150 games played – not including the last matchweek of fixtures – and down from 18 in the first 16 matchweeks.
• Four of these were incorrect VAR interventions, seven were missed interventions and one related to a referee being told to check his decision on the pitchside monitor, then sticking with it when it should have been changed.
• It means incorrect interventions have reduced to one every 37.5 games, as opposed to six in the 16 rounds before the World Cup, when the rate was one in every 24.3 games.
• For missed interventions, the rate has gone from one in every 12.2 games to one every 21.4 games.

What have been the key controversies?

Match of the Day pundits have been critical of VAR at various points this season, with Ian Wright saying “the pure enjoyment of goals has gone” and Murphy calling it a “complete incompetence” after the Brighton incidents this month.

Stephen Warnock even suggested getting rid of VAR, while BBC Radio 5 Live’s Chris Sutton said De Zerbi’s side had been “robbed” in the loss at Tottenham.

Tottenham 2-1 Brighton (8 April 2023)

Incident: As Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma controlled the ball in the box, Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg stood on his boot, resulting in the Japan international falling to the ground.

VAR decision: Referee Stuart Attwell rejected the initial appeals and was not asked to reverse the decision or go to the TV monitor for a second look, despite another VAR check.

Outcome: Following the penalty appeal, Tottenham won the game thanks to a late Harry Kane goal, boosting their chances of a top-four finish and denting Brighton’s hopes of making the European places. PGMOL later admitted the Seagulls should have had a penalty for the incident and the VAR official Michael Salisbury was dropped for the next round of Premier League fixtures.

Arsenal 1-1 Brentford (11 February 2023)

Incident: Brentford’s Ivan Toney equalised at league leaders Arsenal when he nodded in Christian Norgaard’s cross from close range, but Toney and Norgaard both appeared to be offside in the build-up to the goal.

VAR decision: Despite a lengthy review, VAR Lee Mason did not draw the lines to check for offside on Toney’s goal and the decision to award the equaliser stood.Outcome: Arsenal were forced to settle for one point which could be crucial to their title bid, with Manchester City hot on the Gunners’ tail. Mason, having been a Premier League referee for 15 years, subsequently left PGMOL.

Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton (11 February 2023)

Incident: Pervis Estupinan thought he had scored the opening goal for Brighton when he scooped Pascal Gross’s pass into the Crystal Palace net.

VAR decision: VAR John Brooks intervened and ruled the Ecuador defender was offside when he received Gross’ pass, but the offside line was wrongly drawn from James Tomkins, rather than his fellow Palace defender Marc Guehi, who was standing just behind him.

Outcome: A win for Brighton at the time would have seen them move within two points of fifth-placed Tottenham and helped their bid to qualify for European competition. Meanwhile, Brooks was replaced as VAR operator for Liverpool’s game against Everton, and Arsenal’s home meeting with Manchester City the following week.

In September, PGMOL admitted wrong VAR decisions had been made in ruling out goals for Newcastle United and West Ham against Crystal Palace and Chelsea respectively.

An independent panel also ruled in December that Premier League video assistant referees had made six incorrect interventions and missed another six incidents since the start of the season.

Do officials deserve strong criticism?

While many will disagree with the numbers, it is understood Webb feels it is important to shield officials from some of the anger being aimed at them. Unlike clubs and players, they receive little credit to counterbalance criticism when they have done well.

Webb also knowns the spotlight on officials will increase over the final weeks of the season as the consequences of results and decisions becomes more acute.

Over the course of the summer, PGMOL intends to introduce a pool of VAR specialists, with former Premier League assistant referee Adam Gale-Watts confirmed as the organisation’s first technical director.

Premier League VAR chief Neil Swarbrick, who spearheaded the system’s implementation in the top flight, is also to leave his role at the end of the season.

Can clubs expect PGMOL apologies?

Premier League clubs will get a response every time they ask PGMOL for an explanation around a contentious decision. But they should forget about weekly apologies from Webb for debatable calls that have gone against them.

Webb contacted Brighton in the aftermath of their controversial defeat at Tottenham on 8 April to apologise. Since then, Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has claimed he would expect a similar call from Webb to apologise for his side not being awarded a spot-kick for an apparent handball by Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire in his side’s 2-0 defeat at the City Ground.

He might be waiting a while.

While Webb has made a point of proactively speaking to clubs when he knows a clear error has been made, BBC Sport understands that has only happened on a handful of occasions as many of the decisions, which managers are unhappy about, are debatable.

The Maguire incident is thought to be one of those.

In that instance, Webb would respond only if there was a request for dialogue from Forest to explain the rationale behind the decision.

The Mitoma and Maguire controversies come at a difficult time for PGMOL, when the quality of officials is under intense scrutiny.