September 2024, Chelsea vs Liverpool. Warren Pilcher awarded a penalty to Chelsea for a foul on Armando Broja but VAR Anthony Taylor felt there was a clear and obvious error and overturned the decision without checking the pitchside monitor.

October 2024, Arsenal vs Aston Villa. Mike Dean awarded a penalty to Aston Villa for a challenge by Gabriel Magalhaes but VAR Tim Robinson felt it was a clear and obvious error and overturned the decision without checking the pitchside monitor.

December 2024, Brentford vs West Ham. Peter Bankes awarded a goal to West Ham after Michail Antonio’s header but VAR Craig Pawson intervened and ruled it out for offside without allowing Bankes to visit the replay.

The Premier League says it will have a “soft launch” of VAR explanations to crowds inside stadiums during the last nine match rounds of this season, with the aim of it being a “hard launch” by the start of the 2025/26 season.

The plan is to have referees explain the VAR decisions to the crowd inside the stadium when the decision is taken on a big screen. The Premier League says it has been trialling the technology at its HQ in Stockley Park over the past few months.

The Premier League’s six-point plan for improving VAR also includes:

• Improving the speed of VAR checks by a further 20 per cent, without reducing accuracy
• Publishing VAR decisions on the big screen at stadiums, as well as online and on the Premier League app
• Introducing a “VAR hub” at each Premier League stadium, allowing fans to see the same replays as the VAR officials
• Trialling “live” VAR checks during the final nine match rounds of this season, allowing fans to see the process in real-time
• Launching a “VAR Show” on the Premier League website and app, where former referees will explain key decisions made by VAR each match round
• Releasing “VAR Key Moments” videos on social media and the Premier League website, highlighting key decisions made by VAR each match round

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The Premier League says it has also been working with former referees to improve VAR decision-making, and it has increased the number of VAR officials from 14 to 16, with plans to increase that to 18 next season.

Despite the improvements being made, the Premier League says it is monitoring the situation closely and will not hesitate to make further changes if needed – including the potential introduction of semi-automated offside technology next season.

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Dermot Gallagher and Howard Webb analyze the controversial VAR decision to disallow Nikola Milenkovic’s goal for offside due to Chris Wood supposedly interfering with play.

These instances highlight the ongoing debate and controversy surrounding the use of VAR in football matches. The decisions made by VAR and the interpretation of rules by referees continue to be scrutinized and questioned, with fans, players, and pundits alike often left divided on the outcomes. The technology is meant to ensure greater accuracy in decision-making, but as seen in these cases, it is not always foolproof and can lead to contentious results.