Two to four VAR errors possible after contentious Premier League weekend

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel could record two to four VAR errors from a weekend of contentious decisions, according to BBC Sport’s review, after only two errors had been identified in the first eight rounds of this season.

The BBC says penalties not awarded to Arsenal against Hull and Coventry against Everton are the two decisions most likely to be logged as VAR errors. Two other calls — a disallowed red card for Leeds’ Omar Bogle and Everton’s Thierno Barry’s goal against Coventry, which was checked for handball — could also be judged wrong, depending on the panel’s assessment.

The panel reviews contentious incidents and votes on whether decisions were correct. At the same stage last season, it had reported six VAR errors, compared with two this season before the weekend’s matches.

The review also judged several other high-profile calls likely to stand. These included Manchester United’s late equaliser against Aston Villa, which was checked for a possible foul on the goalkeeper, and Igor Thiago’s VAR-assisted red card for Brentford against Brighton.

The BBC’s figures are an assessment of how the panel might rule, not a record of its final verdicts. Its review says the Barry handball incident and Bogle challenge are particularly open to differing views among panel members.