How did the VAR system fare after a week under the spotlight?
VAR came in for close scrutiny in the Premier League this weekend following last week’s ‘significant human error’ Zac Goodwin/PA)
The VAR system was under the spotlight in the Premier League this weekend following the error in last week’s match between Tottenham and Liverpool.
New VAR guidelines were introduced in time for the latest round of fixtures after Liverpool forward Luis Diaz’s goal was wrongly disallowed for offside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how VAR operated at each of this weekend’s top-flight fixtures.
Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner for Arsenal ensured VAR was not the main talking point at the Emirates Stadium (John Walton/PA)
Until Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner, referee Michael Oliver’s decision not to send off City’s Mateo Kovacic in the first half was set to be the biggest talking point at the Emirates Stadium. The VAR, John Brooks, reviewed the City midfielder’s poor challenge on Martin Odegaard, but did not advise Oliver to go to the pitchside monitor and review whether to upgrade his booking to a red card. Kovacic stayed on the pitch and avoided another yellow card shortly afterwards.
Brighton’s draw at the Amex Stadium saw the VAR, Craig Pawson, called on to verify a penalty awarded by on-field referee Anthony Taylor at the end of the first half when Pascal Gross hauled down Dominik Szoboszlai by his collar. The video referee upheld the decision, but despite Gross appearing to be the last man, there was no red card shown to the Brighton midfielder.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino speaks to referee Stuart Attwell at half-time during his side’s win at Turf Moor (Richard Sellers/PA)
The VAR, Darren Bond, was called on twice in the second half at Turf
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