The Premier League table might be significantly altered if VAR rulings were disregarded.
Since VAR technology was officially introduced in the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, debates over the accuracy of referees' decisions have never ceased. VAR was created to assist in identifying “clear errors” in four scenarios: goals, penalties, red cards, and human errors. However, after six years of use, controversies over “VAR mistakes” continue.
The Premier League standings might have changed drastically without the controversial VAR incidents (Photo: GOAL)
According to data compiled by Squawka based on fan votes, the 2025/26 season shows a significant gap between reality and the hypothetical “no VAR errors” scenario. Among the most affected teams is Fulham. Marco Silva’s squad currently ranks 8th, but without VAR, they would rise to 4th place, securing a Champions League spot with an additional 2 points. Newcastle has also lost 2 points this Premier League season due to contentious decisions.
Premier League standings without VAR decisions (Photo: Squawka)
Crystal Palace is becoming a “phenomenon” this season. Under coach Oliver Glasner, Palace remains unbeaten in 17 consecutive matches and has also lost 2 points due to VAR. Without the foolish VAR error in their game against Chelsea, they would surpass Arsenal and Tottenham to climb to second place, just behind Liverpool, the reigning champions coached by Arne Slot.
Most notably, Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s team has finished second for three consecutive seasons and is eager for a title, and they are the team that benefits the most from VAR. In the “no VAR table,” Arsenal would drop from 2nd to 8th place, sharing points with Everton, Sunderland, and Newcastle. The most significant incident was their opening 1-0 win over Manchester United thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s goal, where William Saliba might have caused a penalty against Matheus Cunha, leading to a draw if Manchester United had scored from the spot.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal is the team gaining the most advantage from VAR (Photo: NBC)
Everton is also among the teams disadvantaged, losing 1 point in the defeat to Leeds due to a controversial penalty involving Tarkowski. Conversely, Sunderland and Manchester City would drop two places without VAR. Meanwhile, the relegation-threatened group including West Ham, Aston Villa, and Wolverhampton sees no change in their rankings despite benefiting or suffering from VAR decisions.
These figures show that although VAR has become an essential part of the game, “VAR errors” still have the power to overturn the Premier League race, from the top to the relegation zone.
Links
Contact
App
