Where would Liverpool, Everton, Man Utd, Man City, Tottenham, and Arsenal be seated in the Premier League table in the absence of VAR?
The VAR controversy surrounding Liverpool’s dramatic loss to Tottenham Hotspur has caused weeks of fallout and debate. In the Merseyside derby, the Reds were called for a VAR infraction.
After Michael Keane’s handball from Luis Diaz’s cross went unnoticed by the on-field officials, referee Craig Pawson was summoned to the pitchside monitor. Mohamed Salah scored a goal deep into stoppage time to seal the three points for Jurgen Klopp’s team after a spot-kick was awarded. VAR was unable to intervene earlier in the game when Ibrahima Konaté was lucky to avoid receiving a second yellow card because it can only assist in ruling on potential red card offences, as demonstrated when Curtis Jones was sent off.
We have examined how the Premier League table might appear in the absence of VAR in light of its most recent involvements. Here’s how the table might appear as it stands, taking into account VAR decisions that resulted in goals being awarded or disallowed by the technology, including via penalties.
