Man City would still win the Premier League without VAR

Without VAR, the Premier League 2022-2023 season will not change much with the top four clubs still being Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd and Newcastle.

SunSport has tracked every decision overturned by VAR in the 2022-23 Premier League season, 114 in total, and calculated the outcome of the game if the original decisions had stood.

Of those, VAR disallowed 54 goals, including 36 for offside, awarded 13 goals, awarded 27 and cancelled 12 penalties. Despite the controversial decisions and concerns about VAR throughout the season, no other key positions in the top or relegation places were changed because of the video assistant referee.

SunSport 's statistics show Newcastle benefited and suffered the most from VAR decisions, with 11. Five clubs - Chelsea, Everton, Leeds, Man City and Southampton - benefited from VAR just three times, while Fulham were affected by the technology twice.

SunSport 's analysis of a total of 380 games in the tournament shows that clubs have changed points, but it does not have much impact on the overall outcome.

Man City still won the title but with 94 points, even five more than the reality. Arsenal would have lost two points without VAR, but still finished second. Behind them are still Man Utd and Newcastle.

VAR announced that a goal by Haaland was disallowed in the match between Man City and Brighton, which ended in a 1-1 draw in the Premier League round 32 on May 24. Photo: Reuters — VAR announced that a goal by Haaland was disallowed in the match between Man City and Brighton, which ended in a 1-1 draw in the Premier League round 32 on May 24. Photo: *Reuters*

Brighton are awarded two points and will move into fifth place ahead of Liverpool, who have been docked six points. But both will still represent the Premier League in next season's Europa League.

The most significant change comes in seventh place. Aston Villa actually hold that spot, making their first appearance in Europe in 13 years. But without VAR, the Villa Park side would have lost 11 points and dropped to ninth. Brentford, who have been awarded two points, would have qualified for the Europa Conference League qualifying round instead.

In the bottom half of the table, a league without VAR would see Chelsea and Crystal Palace swap places in 11th and 12th, with Nottingham Forest moving above West Ham and Bournemouth into 14th.

Southampton, Leeds and Leicester would all have been awarded extra points if it weren't for VAR, but still couldn't escape relegation.

This reality is contrary to the concerns and major controversies about VAR at the beginning and middle of the season. In early September 2022, VAR was criticized when it denied two goals by West Ham and Newcastle against Chelsea and Crystal Palace respectively. West Ham manager David Moyes even implied that the referee was "rotten" and the Premier League Referees' Council (PGMOL) later had to admit that VAR was wrong in these two situations. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta complained that VAR was inconsistent when making different decisions for similar situations.

In February 2023, VAR caused a stir again with two other errors in round 23. VAR referee Lee Mason forgot, or did not, to mark the offside line for Ivan Toney's goal, helping Brentford draw 1-1 at Arsenal. In the match between Crystal Palace and Brighton, VAR referee John Brooks marked the offside line for the wrong player. In the situation where Pervis Estupinan scored, VAR marked James Tomkins, but Marc Guehi was Palace's last defender. Former defender Martin Keown at that time suggested that the Premier League should suspend VAR after these serious mistakes.