Whisper it quietly, but Premier League video assistant referee decisions have been largely accurate this season, with only two errors recorded after the opening eight rounds by the Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel.
That figure compares with six mistakes at the same stage last season. However, a weekend in which almost every top-flight match featured a disputed decision could lead to the panel adding between two and four more errors to its list.
BBC Sport assesses the main incidents.
Manchester United 4-4 Aston Villa
Manchester United were awarded a 16th-minute penalty when Boubacar Kamara fouled Matheus Cunha. The spot-kick was given because Kamara went through Cunha while attempting to win the ball, and replays showed the first contact was with the Brazilian’s foot.
The KMI Panel is likely to support that decision.
There was also a late appeal from Aston Villa over Patrick Dorgu’s 96th-minute equaliser, with Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens appearing to make contact with Zion Suzuki.
The incident had similarities to William Saliba leaning into Altay Bayındır before Arsenal scored at Old Trafford last season. Lammens was not looking at the ball, which increases the possibility of a VAR intervention, but the contact was minimal. Given the Premier League’s high threshold for intervention, the panel is unlikely to regard the decision not to disallow the goal as an error.
Arsenal 1-0 Hull
Kai Havertz was pulled down in the penalty area by Nobel Mendy, and VAR Michael Oliver sent referee Farai Hallam to the pitchside monitor. A penalty was not awarded because Havertz was judged to have been offside.
However, the foul occurred before the potential offside offence. Under the laws, a penalty should therefore have been given, and this is likely to be recorded as an error despite the instinctive feeling that a player in an offside position should not benefit from a spot-kick.
Leeds 1-0 Tottenham
Jayden Bogle fouled Mathys Tel, but referee John Brooks did not punish the Leeds player beyond awarding a free-kick. VAR Tony Harrington chose not to recommend a review for a possible red card.
The decision was difficult because Bogle made contact with his supporting foot rather than his challenging foot, although the tackle caused significant pain. The panel’s view may depend on which former players are involved, as opinion among ex-professionals has been divided over whether it endangered Tel.
Everton 3-1 Coventry
Coventry’s Caleb Yirenkyi appeared to have his hair pulled by James Tarkowski inside the area. Although the interpretation of hair-pulling has been relaxed this season and the offence would not result in a red card, there appeared to be a clear tug. A penalty is likely to be judged the correct outcome.
Coventry also appealed when Vitalii Mykolenko clipped Taiwo Awoniyi on the edge of the box. Replays indicated the contact happened just before the penalty-area line, so the decision not to award a penalty should be supported.
Thierno Barry’s 61st-minute goal was checked for handball. VAR found no conclusive evidence, although the ball appeared to deviate and the goal probably should have been disallowed. The absence of the instantly available super-zoom, which takes several minutes to calibrate, may lead to a split vote. A similar issue arose with a Crystal Palace goal against Nottingham Forest.
Other disputed decisions
Igor Thiago was shown a red card after VAR identified contact between his forearm and Chema Andres’ head in Brighton’s 2-0 win over Brentford. The dismissal may appear harsh because intent was questionable, but the law supports a red card for a strike to the head unless the force is negligible. Thiago will miss three Premier League matches.
Crystal Palace’s late penalty against Liverpool, awarded after Milos Kerkez fouled Dario Osorio, was a borderline 50-50 challenge. It may be considered an on-field mistake, but probably not one serious enough to meet the threshold for VAR intervention. A similar decision involving William Saliba and Joao Pedro during the 2024-25 season was judged correct.
Cole Palmer’s appeal for a penalty in Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Sunderland is unlikely to succeed. Contact from Luke O’Nien and Jules Ahoka began outside the area, and a player falling inside it does not make the offence a penalty unless the continuing contact involves holding.
Newcastle’s disallowed goal at Fulham, ruled out for a foul by Yoane Wissa on Timothy Castagne, is also likely to be supported. Matthias Jaissle was perplexed by the decision, but the panel may consider it correct because a defender being held back to create an onside route for another attacker would clearly be an offence.
Overall, the KMI Panel is very likely to record errors for the failure to award penalties to Arsenal and Coventry. Barry’s goal and the decision not to send off Bogle could also be disputed, leaving a possible total of two to four mistakes an unfavourable weekend for VAR.
