The Premier League's review panel confirmed three additional VAR errors, bringing this season's total to 23 mistakes.
The Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel verified three more VAR mistakes, all penalty-related, raising this season's count to 23. Everton, the only side without a single VAR decision going their way this term, were wrongly denied a penalty at home to Manchester City.
David Moyes' team led 3-2 at Goodison Park when Bernardo Silva held midfielder Merlin Rohl during a corner kick, unseen by referee Michael Oliver. VAR official Paul Howard ruled the holding occurred before the corner was taken, preventing a penalty review.
After the 3-3 draw, Moyes stated: 'If that doesn't get given as a penalty, then it's an absolute free-for-all from now on.' All five members of the review panel agreed, confirming 'there is a clear, sustained holding offence which continues as the corner is taken and the ball comes into play.' City scored in stoppage time through Jeremy Doku to salvage the point. This was Everton's third wrongly denied penalty via VAR review, following missed spot-kicks in losses to Arsenal and West Ham.
The panel voted 5-0 that a penalty awarded to Bournemouth in the 29th minute of their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace should have been overturned. Marcos Senesi went down after minimal contact from goalkeeper Dean Henderson, prompting referee Rob Jones to point to the spot. VAR Peter Bankes upheld the call.
The panel explained: 'Henderson drops the ball, reaches for it and Senesi goes down under very minimal contact from the goalkeeper.' They concluded the referee's decision was incorrect and VAR should have intervened.
West Ham should have been awarded two penalties in their 3-0 loss at Brentford, though one fell outside VAR's review criteria. Keane Lewis-Potter held Tomas Soucek in a 'clear non-footballing action impacting West Ham's player movement,' and the panel unanimously felt VAR Tony Harrington should have acted.
The panel also assessed referee Craig Pawson's failure to award a spot-kick when Yehor Yarmolyuk slipped and brought down Pablo inside the area. This decision drew a 3-2 split vote for a penalty, but a 4-1 vote against VAR review.
The 23 confirmed VAR errors this season mark an increase from 17 at the same stage of the 2024-25 campaign. However, the current total remains lower than the 30 mistakes recorded after 35 rounds in 2023-24.
In a separate judgement, the panel voted 4-1 in favor of VAR's correct non-intervention on Benjamin Sesko's potential handball before he scored for Manchester United against Liverpool. The majority agreed 'there was no conclusive evidence of a handball.'
The panel also supported 4-1 the VAR's decision to issue a red card to Sunderland's Dan Ballard for pulling Tolu Arokodare's hair. Despite these varied outcomes, the growing number of VAR controversies continues to fuel debate over officiating standards in the league.