Three more VAR errors confirmed by Premier League panel

Everton boss David Moyes reacts during the Premier League match against Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

David Moyes has seen his Everton side wrongly denied three VAR penalties in the Premier League this season

ByDale JohnsonFootball issues correspondent

Published41 minutes ago

Three more video assistant referee errors have been confirmed by the Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel, taking the total this season to 23.

The panel has recorded three errors involving penalties, two of which should have been awarded for holding offences.

Everton, the only team not to get a VAR intervention in their favour this season, were wrongly denied a spot-kick against Manchester City.

David Moyes' side led 3-2 at Goodison Park when, on a corner, Bernardo Silva held back Toffees midfielder Merlin Rohl - unseen by referee Michael Oliver.

The VAR Paul Howard decided the holding had taken place before the corner was taken, so he could not intervene to award a penalty.

"If that doesn't get given as a penalty, then it's an absolute free-for-all from now on," Moyes said after the game.

All five members of the KMI panel agreed with Moyes, saying "there is a clear, sustained holding offence which continues as the corner is taken and the ball comes into play".

City equalised deep into stoppage time through Jeremy Doku to snatch a 3-3 draw.

It is the third time this season Everton should have been given a penalty through video review, the others being in a 1-0 home loss to Arsenal and a 2-1 defeat at West Ham.

The panel also voted 5-0 that a penalty awarded to Bournemouth in the 29th minute of their 3-0 home win over Crystal Palace should have been overturned.

Marcos Senesi went to ground claiming contact from goalkeeper Dean Henderson, and referee Rob Jones pointed to the spot. The VAR Peter Bankes decided to uphold the decision.

"Henderson drops the ball, reaches for it and Senesi goes down under very minimal contact from the goalkeeper," the panel said.

"The referee's call of a penalty was incorrect and that VAR should have intervened to recommend a review."

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Hammers denied two penalties at Brentford

West Ham should have been given two spot-kicks in their 3-0 loss at Brentford - though one of the decisions was not considered to have reached the VAR threshold.

Keane Lewis-Potter held Tomas Soucek "in a clear non-footballing action which impacted the West Ham player's movement" and the panel unanimously felt the VAR Tony Harrington should have stepped in.

It was also felt referee Craig Pawson should have pointed to the spot in the 77th minute when Yehor Yarmolyuk slipped and brought down Pablo inside the area.

That was a split 3-2 vote for a spot-kick, but 4-1 against a VAR review.

The 23 errors is an increase on last season, with 17 at the same stage of the 2024-25 campaign.

It is, however, lower than the 30 mistakes logged after 35 rounds of the 2023-24 season.

In other judgements, the panel voted 4-1 that the VAR was correct not to intervene on the potential handball by Benjamin Sesko before the Manchester United striker scored against Liverpool.

It noted that the majority of the panel deemed "there was no conclusive evidence of a handball".

The VAR red card for Sunderland's Dan Ballard for pulling on the hair of Tolu Arokodare was also supported 4-1.