On the final day of the Premier League season, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system received praise for its accurate decisions. Despite calls from clubs to scrap the technology, the Key Match Incidents panel ruled all VAR interventions were correct. However, there were still six incorrect on-field decisions noted, including Tomas Soucek’s handball goal originally missed in West Ham’s 3-1 loss to Manchester City.
The panel supported Gabriel Martinelli’s winning goal in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Everton, despite debate over a possible handball by Jesus during the build-up. In another instance, Wolves’ Nelson Semedo saw his yellow card upgraded to a red after a VAR review in their 2-0 defeat against Liverpool. Conversely, referee Andy Madley reversed a red card decision for Andre Brooks of Sheffield United after a VAR check, with the panel agreeing it was not a clear error for intervention.
Premier League clubs are set to vote on the future of VAR at their upcoming meeting in June. While Wolves have proposed to scrap the technology due to negative consequences affecting the fan-football relationship, the league maintains its support for VAR. Any changes in the rules would require a two-thirds majority vote among the 20 member clubs, with the meeting poised to decide VAR’s fate for the upcoming season.
