Three additional video assistant referee errors have been confirmed by the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel, bringing the total for the season to 23.
The figure represents a 35% rise compared to the same stage last season, when 17 errors were recorded in 2024-25. However, it remains below the 30 errors logged at this point in 2023-24.
The panel identified three penalty-related mistakes, including two cases that should have resulted in spot-kicks for holding offences.
Everton were among the clubs affected, with the panel ruling that they were wrongly denied a penalty against Manchester City. David Moyes’ side led 3-2 at Hill Dickinson Stadium when Bernardo Silva held back Toffees midfielder Merlin Rohl from a corner, an incident missed by referee Michael Oliver.
VAR official Paul Howard judged that the holding occurred before the corner was taken and therefore did not intervene.
ALSO READ: Beckham becomes UK’s first billionaire sportsman
“If that doesn’t get given as a penalty, then it’s an absolute free-for-all from now on,” Moyes said after the game.
All five members of the KMI panel disagreed with the decision, stating “there is a clear, sustained holding offence which continues as the corner is taken and the ball comes into play”.
Manchester City went on to equalise deep into stoppage time through Jeremy Doku, securing a 3-3 draw.
It was the third time this season Everton felt they should have been awarded a penalty through VAR review, following incidents in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and a 2-1 loss at West Ham.
The panel also unanimously ruled that a penalty awarded to Bournemouth in their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace should have been overturned. Marcos Senesi went down under contact from goalkeeper Dean Henderson, with VAR Peter Bankes backing referee Rob Jones’ on-field decision.
“Henderson drops the ball, reaches for it and Senesi goes down under very minimal contact from the goalkeeper,” the panel said.
“The referee’s call of a penalty was incorrect and that VAR should have intervened to recommend a review.”
In another case, West Ham were judged to have been denied two penalties in their 3-0 defeat at Brentford. One incident, involving Keane Lewis-Potter and Tomas Soucek, was described as “a clear non-footballing action which impacted the West Ham player’s movement”, with the panel unanimous that VAR Tony Harrington should have intervened.
A separate incident in the 77th minute, when Yehor Yarmolyuk brought down Pablo, produced a split decision, with a 3-2 vote for a penalty but 4-1 against VAR intervention.
Elsewhere, the panel voted 4-1 that VAR was correct not to intervene in a possible handball by Benjamin Sesko before the Manchester United striker scored against Liverpool, noting there was “no conclusive evidence of a handball”.
The VAR decision to award a red card to Sunderland’s Dan Ballard for pulling the hair of Tolu Arokodare was also upheld by a 4-1 majority.
(BBC)
