BBC Sport: Premier League VAR review could log two to four errors after controversial weekend

BBC Sport reported that almost every Premier League match this weekend featured a contentious VAR decision, and its review estimated that the Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel is very likely to log two of them as VAR errors: the failure to award penalties to Arsenal and Coventry. Two further calls — Everton's goal by Thierno Barry and the potential red card for Leeds' Jayden Bogle — may also be judged errors, depending on the panel's subjective view, the report said.

BBC Sport said the KMI Panel had recorded just two VAR errors after eight rounds this season, compared with six at the same stage last season. It noted that the panel votes on whether contentious decisions are right or wrong, and that its assessments are not official confirmation of errors.

Among the incidents reviewed, BBC Sport said Arsenal should have had a penalty when Kai Havertz was pulled down by Nobel Mendy, because the foul occurred before any offside offence, even though VAR Michael Oliver sent referee Farai Hallam to the pitchside monitor and no penalty was given. It also judged that Coventry should have been awarded a spot-kick when Caleb Yirenkyi appeared to have his hair pulled by James Tarkowski.

Other decisions examined included Manchester United's late equaliser against Aston Villa surviving a VAR check for a possible foul by Senne Lammens on goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, and Igor Thiago's red card for Brentford for catching Chema Andres with his forearm, which BBC Sport said was likely to be supported. The report said the Bogle challenge on Mathys Tel split opinion among former players.