VAR errors rise in Premier League despite overall improvement
Video assistant referee mistakes have increased in the first half of the Premier League season, according to data from the Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel. BBC Sport reports that errors are up 30% year-on-year, rising from 10 to 13, though this remains an improvement compared to 20 at the same stage in 2023-24 and 23 in 2022-23.
Most of the mistakes were missed interventions, climbing from seven to 11, where VAR failed to advise the referee to change a decision. Incorrect interventions fell slightly from three to two, while total overturns dropped from 57 last season to 47, a fall of 17.5%. On-field errors not reaching the VAR threshold also rose from 12 to 15.
The KMI Panel, made up of former players, coaches, and representatives from the Premier League and PGMO, reviews every major incident weekly. It considers both referee and VAR decisions, applying the “clear and obvious” standard.
VAR Mistakes 2025-26 (First Half)
| # | Match | Incident | Panel Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth | Senesi handball, no red card | Should have been DOGSO red card |
| 2 | Chelsea 2-0 Fulham | Josh King goal wrongly disallowed | Goal should have stood |
| 3 | Wolves 2-3 Everton | Hugo Bueno denied penalty | Penalty should have been awarded |
| 4 | Brentford 3-1 Man Utd | Nathan Collins only cautioned | Should have been red card |
| 5 | Chelsea 1-3 Brighton | Malo Gusto high boot on Minteh | VAR should have intervened |
| 6 | Crystal Palace 3-3 Bournemouth | Senesi DOGSO foul on Sarr | Should have been red card |
| 7 | Brentford 3-1 Newcastle | Dan Burn trip on Ouattara | Penalty should have been awarded |
| 8 | Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham | Kilman deliberate handball | Should have been red card |
| 9 | Newcastle 2-1 Man City | Schar late foul on Foden | Penalty should have been awarded |
| 10 | Wolves 1-4 Man Utd | Agbadou handball | Penalty should have been awarded |
| 11 | Everton 0-1 Arsenal | Saliba foul on Barry | Penalty should have been awarded |
| 12 | Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth | Gusto handball | Penalty should have been awarded |
| 13 | Brentford 0-0 Tottenham | Romero foul on Thiago | Should have been red card |
VAR Errors by Club (Impact Table)
| Club | Errors Suffered | Errors Benefited | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth | 2 | 2 | Twice denied Senesi reds; gained from Kilman incident |
| Brentford | 2 | 1 | Collins & Romero reds missed; gained vs Newcastle |
| Man United | 2 | 0 | Hurt by Collins and Agbadou incidents |
| Brighton | 1 | 1 | Gusto high boot missed; gained vs Chelsea |
| Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | Senesi DOGSO foul overlooked |
| Everton | 1 | 1 | Saliba foul missed; gained vs Arsenal |
| Fulham | 1 | 0 | King goal wrongly disallowed |
| Liverpool | 1 | 0 | Senesi handball overlooked |
| Man City | 1 | 0 | Schar foul on Foden missed |
| Wolves | 1 | 1 | Bueno denied penalty; gained from Agbadou |
| Chelsea | 0 | 3 | Benefited most: Fulham, Bournemouth, Brighton |
| Newcastle | 0 | 2 | Avoided penalties vs City & Brentford |
| Arsenal | 0 | 1 | Saliba foul overlooked vs Everton |
| Tottenham | 0 | 1 | Romero red card missed vs Brentford |
| West Ham | 0 | 1 | Kilman handball incident favoured them |
Grouped Bar Chart: VAR Errors Suffered vs Benefited
(Visual card above shows the grouped bar chart — each club’s suffered vs benefited errors side by side.)
Key Takeaways
- Chelsea gained the most (3 errors in their favour).
- Bournemouth, Brentford, Manchester United suffered the most (2 errors each).
- Newcastle benefited from 2 errors, including avoiding a penalty vs Man City.
- Several clubs (Bournemouth, Brentford, Wolves, Brighton, Everton) both suffered and benefited, showing VAR swings can balance out.