So much of the Premier League is centred around VAR (video assistant referee) right now.
That is highly frustrating but, until something changes, the position is unlikely to alter.
This weekend was a case in point and, alongside much debate, the acclaimed football writer Henry Winter summed it up best for me, when he wrote: ‘It’s not VAR that’s killing games. It’s the ridiculous amount of time taken. 4 mins for offside? A joke. It’s the absence of communication. It’s the paucity of quality of too many officials. It’s an offence to fans who fork out fortunes.’
How right he is.
The first mistake came in the first game of the weekend when Scott McTominay was denied a Manchester United goal at Fulham in a decision which was made far too late (after the celebrations had died down) and, even more frustratingly, was a wrong call for an offside which didn’t exist.
That took several minutes to make and was only the start.
A few hours later in Sheffield came a decision which was equally contentious.
It was in the dying seconds when Wolves substitute Fabio Silva fouled George Baldock in the box and, after a VAR check, Sheffield United were awarded a last-gasp penalty at Brammall Lane.
Ollie Norwood converted from the spot in the 10th added minute of the contest to earn the Blades their first league win of the season and prompt Wolves manager Gary O’Neill to say he had given up on ‘referees’ and that football was in a ‘crazy, crazy place’. How right he is.
Then it was up to the North East for the teatime encounter between Newcastle United and Arsenal and an even crazier set of Premier League highlights – or should they be called lowlights.
Anthony Gordon’s controversial second-half winner gave the hosts victory in a feisty encounter, but only after the video assistant referee had checked whether the ball had gone out of play, for a possible foul and, finally, for offside before Newcastle were finally allowed to celebrate.
Referee Stuart Attwell awarded the goal – and then the VAR checks began. Just over four minutes of them.
First there was a check to see if former Gunner Joe Willock had kept the ball in play. In a check that lasted 33 seconds, the VAR decided there was no conclusive evidence the ball was out of play.
There was then a check to see if Joelinton had fouled his fellow Brazilian Gabriel to reach the ball first. This one lasted 50 seconds and it was deemed there was not sufficient contact to award a foul – highly dubious.
And then the final question. Was Gordon offside when Joelinton played the ball? Exactly 90 seconds later the decision was made – there was no conclusive evidence of offside. They could not find an available camera angle for the VAR to draw the line.
So, the goal stood. Three tight decisions, but the officials could not be sure any of them were offences.
All that on Saturday made Sunday’s action seem relatively tame as Nottingham Forest gained their first win in seven matches with a victory over in-form Aston Villa.
Ola Aina gave Forest a fifth-minute lead with his first goal for the club, powerfully side-footing into the net from 25 yards after Anthony Elanga’s burst down the left was followed by Harry Toffolo’s pass.
They then doubled their advantage just after the restart when Orel Mangala’s powerful 25-yard strike embarrassed World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
There was no VAR controversy and, on a brighter note for Villa, looking at the bigger picture, this marked a year since the appointment of Unai Emery and the improvement since he succeeded the sacked Steven Gerrard has been emphatic.
There was still time for one more game on Sunday where newly promoted Luton Town were not expected to have too much hope against the rampant reds.
Yet the Hatters defied the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds to produce their best performance of the season so far and move out of the drop zone on goal difference.
Substitute Tahith Chong sparked wild celebrations among the home fans, who were eyeing a famous win after he steered home an Issa Kabore cross at the climax of a superb counter-attack with 10 minutes.
There was to be one final twist, though, when substitute Luis Diaz salvaged a point for the Merseysiders in stoppage time with a header.
It was his first match since his parents were kidnapped in his homeland of Colombia.
Diaz’s father remains missing and the forward lifted his shirt to show a message of “freedom for papa” in an emotional conclusion to the contest.
In the Premier League, the only thing to expect is the unexpected – with or without VAR!
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