Remember when VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was not available to Premier League referees? The game flowed, and there was significantly less controversy surrounding the calibre of refereeing in England’s top tier – but that is no longer the case after the technology was overwhelmingly approved and, as a result, deployed in the 2019/20 season following a successful test the previous campaign.
VAR was adopted to provide referees an advantage in identifying and perhaps correcting “clear and obvious errors” in four critical areas: goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity.
Since then, a dedicated VAR figure has overseen every single game in the Premier League, and, despite ongoing debates about its usefulness in England, league officials are unlikely to abandon it anytime soon. So, as we begin the 2025/26 season, which teams have benefited the most from VAR errors? Which teams, in particular, have suffered the most?
Using statistics from Squawka, who polled its X (previously Twitter) followers, there have been a few Premier League clubs that have received what supporters believe were harsh calls since the season began. Let’s take a closer look at the winners and losers of errors committed using VAR beginning in 2025/26.
Crystal Palace and Fulham Race up The Table
Fulham, coached by the popular Marco Silva, are the worst-affected team in terms of VAR errors. As things are, they are currently in eighth place in the Premier League standings, but the removal of VAR would propel them to fourth place, securing Champions League participation for the next season. As a result, they lost two points.
Fulham, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur are the three teams that have had two VAR judgements against them this season, and each is two points and four places worse off. The most noteworthy VAR gaffe involving the west Londoners occurred when Josh King’s goal was disallowed in their 2-0 loss to Chelsea due to an incorrectly accused challenge from Rodrigo Muniz on the halfway line.
As of September 25, Crystal Palace, who had been undefeated in 17 matches dating back to mid-April, had one ‘VAR error’ against them, resulting in a one-point loss. Without the technology, Oliver Glasner’s high-flying players would be one point ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, sitting second behind reigning champions Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Arsenal would be six positions worse off.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have finished three seasons in a row barely behind the table toppers, and they’ll be looking to break that trend this time around as the pressure to win silverware builds. Will this happen? That remains to be seen, but they’ve benefited greatly from VAR since their opening game of the season, a 1-0 victory over Manchester United thanks to a Riccardo Calafoiri header.
In reality, no other side in the league has benefited more from the deployment of VAR than Arsenal: without ‘VAR errors’, they would be six places lower in the Premier League table, from second to eighth, than they are now. In their season opener (the aforementioned triumph over Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils), William Saliba may consider himself fortunate not to concede a penalty on Matheus Cunha.
If Bruno Fernandes had stepped up and converted, as Squawka believes, Arteta, widely considered as one of the top managers in global football, and his title-chasing team would have been two points worse off, drawing the game 1-1. This would drop them to eighth position in the league, level with Everton, newly promoted Sunderland, and Newcastle United.
Other Winners and Losers, Including Newcastle Utd
Remember when VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was not available to Premier League referees? The game flowed, and there was significantly less controversy surrounding the calibre of refereeing in England’s top tier – but that is no longer the case after the technology was overwhelmingly approved and, as a result, deployed in the 2019/20 season following a successful test the previous campaign.
VAR was adopted to provide referees an advantage in identifying and perhaps correcting “clear and obvious errors” in four critical areas: goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity.
Since then, a dedicated VAR figure has overseen every single game in the Premier League, and, despite ongoing debates about its usefulness in England, league officials are unlikely to abandon it anytime soon. So, as we begin the 2025/26 season, which teams have benefited the most from VAR errors? Which teams, in particular, have suffered the most?
Using statistics from Squawka, who polled its X (previously Twitter) followers, there have been a few Premier League clubs that have received what supporters believe were harsh calls since the season began. Let’s take a closer look at the winners and losers of errors committed using VAR beginning in 2025/26.
It is important to note that their table is based on the assumption that any penalties awarded would have been converted.
Crystal Palace & Fulham Race up the table to the crystal castle.
Fulham, coached by the popular Marco Silva, are the worst-affected team in terms of VAR errors. As things are, they are currently in eighth place in the Premier League standings, but the removal of VAR would propel them to fourth place, securing Champions League participation for the next season. As a result, they lost two points.
Fulham, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur are the three teams that have had two VAR judgements against them this season, and each is two points and four places worse off. The most noteworthy VAR gaffe involving the west Londoners occurred when Josh King’s goal was disallowed in their 2-0 loss to Chelsea due to an incorrectly accused challenge from Rodrigo Muniz on the halfway line.
As of September 25, Crystal Palace, who had been undefeated in 17 matches dating back to mid-April, had one ‘VAR error’ against them, resulting in a one-point loss. Without the technology, Oliver Glasner’s high-flying players would be one point ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, sitting second behind reigning champions Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Arsenal would be six positions worse off.
Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have finished three seasons in a row barely behind the table toppers, and they’ll be looking to break that trend this time around as the pressure to win silverware builds. Will this happen? That remains to be seen, but they’ve benefited greatly from VAR since their opening game of the season, a 1-0 victory over Manchester United thanks to a Riccardo Calafoiri header.
In reality, no other side in the league has benefited more from the deployment of VAR than Arsenal: without ‘VAR errors’, they would be six places lower in the Premier League table, from second to eighth, than they are now. In their season opener (the aforementioned triumph over Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils), William Saliba may consider himself fortunate not to concede a penalty on Matheus Cunha.
If Bruno Fernandes had stepped up and converted, as Squawka believes, Arteta, widely considered as one of the top managers in global football, and his title-chasing team would have been two points worse off, drawing the game 1-1. This would drop them to eighth position in the league, level with Everton, newly promoted Sunderland, and Newcastle United.
Other winners and losers were Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Pep Guardiola.
Let’s talk about some more winners and losers. Without VAR errors this season, David Moyes’ Everton, who have shone in the early stages of 2025/26, would be three places higher than their current position of tenth. They would only be one point ahead of Arteta’s side, but they would be ranked higher as James Tarkowski conceded a late penalty in his team’s 1-0 loss to Leeds United.
As a result of the VAR blunder, they are two points worse off, having gone from a draw to leaving Elland Road empty-handed. VAR-led errors also had a severe impact on Eddie Howe’s Newcastle in 2025/26, dropping them three places. They would have won two additional points because Nick Woltemade was denied a penalty in their goalless draw with Bournemouth on September 21.
On the other end of the scale are Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who would have finished two places lower this season if VAR had not been used. Meanwhile, Daniel Farke’s Leeds United are attempting to stay afloat come May 2026, and thanks to VAR blunders, the Whites are one point ahead. If VAR had been working properly, they would have slid from 12th to 15th place.
No Change In Relegation Spots
Season after season, if you ignore the race for the title, those hustling and bustling for European spaces, and teams content with mid-table obscurity, the relegation dogfight keeps its urgency. Three teams are relegated, and they are replaced by a triad of Championship winners – and this time, early results suggest that West Ham United, Aston Villa, and Wolverhampton Wanderers could be in severe trouble.
West Ham United, who are floundering under Graham Potter’s leadership, have had a single VAR error go in their favour, but their Premier League standings have not been impacted. The aforementioned inaccuracy alludes to Tottenham Hotspur’s goal against the east Londoners, which was ruled off due to Micky van de Ven’s push on Kyle Walker-Peters, a decision that James Maddison was upset about.
Unai Emery’s Villa are currently in a funk, but as of now, they’ve had only one VAR-inspired judgement go their way, and none against the Midlands-based team. Wolves, on the other hand, have profited from one VAR-led judgement this season, with Yerson Mosquera avoiding a red card in their recent 1-0 loss to Newcastle, but their position (rock bottom of the top division) has not improved.
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