REVEALED: VAR has made TWENTY errors in the Premier League this season amid growing outrage over decisions… but how does it compare to this time last year?

VAR has made a total of 20 errors in the Premier League this season, figures have shown, amid growing outrage over the technology. 

Football continues to be divided by VAR this season after a series of controversial calls – including Anthony Gordon‘s winner for Newcastle over Arsenal earlier in the campaign that left Mikel Arteta seething and slamming the technology as ‘a disgrace’.

A report from ESPN has detailed a breakdown of how VAR decisions have gone down this season, and it won’t be well received by those who want to see the technology removed from the game.

There have been a total of 20 mistakes so far, the report says, with 54 interventions overall in the top flight.

Two decisions have been incorrectly overturned, with one wrongly rejected by the VAR. In addition, there have been 17 incidents missed in total.

Fans. pundits and managers have fumed over inconsistency from technology this season

However, despite the numbers not being too encouraging on paper – they are mostly an improvement on the same stage of last season. 

In the 2022-23 campaign, there were a total of 61 interventions after 20 games – compared to just 54 this term. 

Last season there were also more incorrect decisions overturned – seven compared to the two on this occasion.

There were also more incidents missed by VAR (18) – but crucially, there were more errors compared to this season, with a total of 25 at this stage last season.

There have been fewer mistakes this season compared to the last campaign

One of the most high-profile situations involving VAR this season – on top of the Anthony Gordon saga – was the failure to award Luis Diaz’s goal for Liverpool against Tottenham last September. 

Earlier in the season, Wolves looked like they should have had a clear penalty against Manchester United at Old Trafford when Andre Onana appeared to clatter striker Sasa Kalajdzic, but nothing was given. 

The latest controversy concerning the technology came when Ivan Toney’s free kick goal for Brentford in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest was allowed to stand, despite the striker appearing to move the ball before taking the set-piece.

Referees chief Howard Webb has since defended the call by referee Michael Salisbury not to intervene, insisting that VAR can only be used to rule on errors relating to goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity.