So, after a while how would you rate VAR usage in Premier League by the one and only FA?

alli got a penalty whilst literally stopping running and already diving a half second before contact was made (basically blatantly making contact happen)

The second angle on the saka penalty appeal is the clearest one, it might look like he is tripping over his legs in the first, but the second shows that his leg gets knocked which forces the second contact whilst also completely taking him out without getting near the ball. What I really remember as being super weird was the amount of time it took to review it, the VAR team only looked at the first angle or something because they literally took 3 seconds to say "review complete".
I watched that and the commentator said: oh its good they are taking less time reviewing VAR like its a good thing when blatant mistakes get made.
Arsenal were trash and got destroyed by a way better chelsea team, but it's a really way-too-common feeling for these referee decisions against us

I was watching a French stream and at one point, they read a twitter post with one guy saying that it looked like even the Ref didn't respect Arsenal anymore. Seem on point to me. I mean, when that kind of incident happen on its own, I don't feel its so bad but when you compare it to so many other call when Arsenal aren't involved, there reasons to be upset. I heard there were some new rule about VAR and all but that doesn't excuse call being different from team to team in similar situation.

I wanted us to get thrashed and I was happy we didn't get the penalty. But even I can see its a stonewall penalty. James didnt have possession of the ball, he ran into saka and tripped him. Everyone including the referees and me is against Arsenal.

PSG didn't play against Chelsea this weekend.

I saw the replay a few times, from different angles, just to make sure I had what I think is correct. I have no bias for or against either team in this situation, so my opinion is solely on the football play itself. I also did not factor if Saka was a known diver, or James was known to stab in, as I have not heard either player in a negative light.

From what I saw, I would say it's a PK. James comes into the player a bit too much without it looking like he is playing for the ball. I see his right foot plant in front of Saka, then he changed to move more directly to the ball. Saka hit James and was bodied off.

We see shoulder and body charges a lot, and some I do feel are more foul than fair, but I like that the refs allow the game to move on. With this being a VAR stoppage, I would have given a PK in this case, and that is after I would have let the live play go. VAR gives me a better perspective, the slow motion, so I would have changed my call.

That's my opinion anyway, so take it or leave it. haha

@DarthFooty Doesn't switching your opinion after checking on VAR count as a mistake for a ref and affect their ranking? If thats really the case, then not going to see VAR might be the easiest choice for a ref who just aimed for less mistake in their games. Hope I'm wrong though.

Just want to add that when you show examples of penalties given for almost nothing, doesn’t make it ok to give a penalty for every similar situation. The simple reason being that it probably was wrong to give a penalty in the first case.

As for the Arsenal-Chelsea incident I feel like it could have been a penalty, to me it’s not obvious so I wont say ”it should have been”. But that’s just my opinion.

I am more frustrated at how Arsenal are losing without even being able to score.

@Emobot7 I would hope that the ref can hold themselves accountable enough that if VAR is showing them something that would make them change their minds, that they would. Not sure if that is supposed to score them lower or anything, but if that is the case, you won't have any legit growth in the application of VAR.

@Pelle Yeah, like Arsenal but things looking real grim even without the ref decision on call like those...

I would hope that the ref can hold themselves accountable enough that if VAR is showing them something that would make them change their minds, that they would.

I certainly hope they would but in the hyper competetive place that is top flight football, I wouldn't be surprised if some of those ref at least were only there for themselve.

Not sure if that is supposed to score them lower or anything, but if that is the case, you won't have any legit growth in the application of VAR.

That I completely agree with you. Its like they implement something but do everything they can to have people not back it up in the best of way.

Ref accountability in the PL is a joke though. Coaches are literally not allowed to speak about referee decisions without getting fined or punished. If it was like you just can't be abusive but can still talk about referees it would be fine, but they don't want to be accountable.

nvm haha

theres no point of var in epl, absolute disgrace to make such so many errors every single gameweek yet they still are referees and face no consequences despite being crap over and over again

After seeing the Wolves Vs Citeh game. Clearly there's something wrong or the Var assistant blind. There's no way that was a penalty!! Ball to hand definitely not handball. Clearly we see where the alliances are. They didn't even check the foul on Ronaldo and right so it was a penalty imo.

yeah blatantly hanging the leg out, already falling in the air like a dead fish; refs give penalty. lol

There have been so many wrong penalty decisions this season that I lost count.

Agree VAR in EPL is close to useless, the VAR assistant guys are so incompetent, it's amusing

Another obvious wrong decision which proved to make a big difference as city won 7-0. Clear red card denial of goalscoring opportunity.

Wanna bet Xhaka would get red card and be send back off to Switzerland?

@quikzyyy just in the most recent game if you watched it, Antonio went studs up - didn’t hit ramsdale but extremely dangerous. Remember earlier on in the year when xhaka got a red card for the same thing against man c. Then people keep using his cards against him as reasons to give him more cards more easily when it’s the refs.

Yep, he didn't even get a card, The referee yesterday was another poor performance.