2025–26 Premier League Table So Far If There Was No VAR

At the sharp ends of the Premier League table, VAR has not wreaked too much havoc. The division’s top five and bottom three would remain unchanged even if every goal allowed or disallowed by the officials at Stockley Park had been ignored by the on-pitch officials. However, the points involved would look a little different.

Arsenal’s actual nine-point lead over Manchester City would be shrunk to seven in a VAR-less world, giving Pep Guardiola’s side the chance to move just one behind the Gunners were they to win their game in hand and the meeting between the two teams at the Etihad in April.

Mikel Arteta’s side have twice enjoyed VAR’s influence this season. Back in December, Arsenal won a desperately tight contest with Everton on Merseyside thanks to a Viktor Gyökeres penalty given by the video assistant referee. As the Premier League would sheepishly admit three months later, Everton should also have been handed a spot kick in that 1–0 win for the visitors, which could have looked very different.

In less controversial circumstances, Arsenal’s bleak 2–2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in February could have been even more grim had VAR not intervened to find that Piero Hincapié was indeed onside while scoring his side’s second goal.

Erling Haaland is a huge fan of video-assisted technology, as it prevents any incorrect offside decision. “I think VAR has helped me even more because you get the decision, it’s as simple as that,” the City striker shrugged earlier this term. The TV monitors also helped Haaland score a penalty against Brighton & Hove Albion in a tetchy 1–1 draw at the Etihad after Diego Gómez was found to have committed a foul.

Manchester United, intriguingly, are the only team in the entire division whose points tally has not been impacted by VAR. However, this is a case of two decisions canceling each other out.

At the start of February, Fulham’s Samu Chukwueze had a delightful strike chalked off for offside at Old Trafford while United were already 2–0 up. The Cottagers would score two legitimate goals to level the game before Benjamin Šeško’s stoppage-time winner. Yet, in a world without VAR, that third goal would only have been good enough for a point rather than all three.

Later that same month, it was United’s turn to be denied by a delayed offside flag when Casemiro’s effort was ruled out against West Ham. Once again, Šeško would ride to the rescue late on, but that equalizer could have been a winner in a VAR-less reality.

Liverpool would be three points better off without VAR, which twice awarded their opponents decisive penalties. Brentford owed their 3–2 win over the Reds to a controversial spot kick which had been upgraded from a free kick, while Leeds United would not have salvaged a 3–3 draw in December without a penalty given by VAR.

In this alternative scenario, Liverpool would still be fifth in the table, but the cushion above Chelsea would be a lot more comfortable.

Biggest Premier League Winners From VAR

Chelsea have earned five points thanks to the intervention of the division’s various VARs. Most of which came in the opening weeks of the season.

Both Crystal Palace and Fulham had goals chalked off at Stamford Bridge in August, while the Cottagers also conceded a penalty Chelsea earned thanks to the video-assisted officials.

Bournemouth were twice struck by the fickle VAR fates across their two meetings with Chelsea this term. The Cherries were denied an admittedly offside Antoine Semenyo winner in their goalless stalemate with the Blues back in December before Cole Palmer helped his side earn a 2–2 draw in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge later that same month with a penalty dished out by VAR.

“We have been very affected by refereeing decisions,” Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola lamented, with some justification.

Biggest Premier League Losers From VAR

Brighton have been harmed even more grossly than Bournemouth by VAR. The Seagulls would climb all the way up from 10th to sixth had they not been denied three extra wins and seven additional points by the powers that be just outside the M25.

Back in November, Fabian Hürzeler’s side had a penalty overturned which could have won them a goalless derby with Crystal Palace. Brighton’s opponents, by contrast, have been all too readily handed spot kicks by VAR. All three of West Ham, Manchester City and Bournemouth have denied Brighton wins thanks to penalties dished out retroactively.

Danny Welbeck also saw a potentially decisive goal in a 2–1 defeat to Fulham chalked off for the most slender of offside calls. The experience scarred the striker so much he couldn’t bring himself to celebrate his recent strike against Liverpool (which was rightly deemed to be onside by the assistant referee in real time) for fear of having his ecstasy extinguished once again.

“It’s so annoying, honestly. I think I have a bit of PTSD,” Welbeck moaned to Match of the Day, referencing that Fulham debacle. “It’s difficult because you want to celebrate, but you don’t know if you’re offside so you have to wait for the VAR. It takes a lot of time, and it takes the joy out of it.”

Well, as Walker would point out, some teams and players have taken more joy out of VAR than others.

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