Lewis Dunk’s goal at Everton would not have been disallowed by VAR, according to Mike Dean.
As Dunk volleyed home via the underside of the crossbar, the former top-flight referee and video assistant told Sky Sports viewers he thought there might have been an offside, but he did not seem certain.
Notably, he also mentioned the camera angles that are accessible at Goodison Park as it ages.
Images displayed in the media area and later on Match of the Day raised serious doubts about whether Dunk was offside when Pascal Gross delivered a free kick in his direction, giving the impression that the Seagulls may have been unfairly treated.
Michael Oliver at Stockley Park cancelled out the goal following a two-minute VAR check.
He had to make a forensic decision between James Tarkowski and Dunk, who were separated by several yards.
Dean affirmed that Oliver would not have had the ideal perspective for a ruling, nor would assistant VAR Nick Hopton.
When informed that the camera angle did not appear optimal, Dean responded, “This is the best angle you can get! That’s all Everton has to offer.
“Only specific camera angles are available at specific grounds.”
When Everton players placed the ball in the middle of the field and got ready to restart following a goal, it first appeared as though Dunk would be called onside.
Howard Webb can only offer so many excuses, I suppose. He’s beginning to sound a lot like Simon Cooper when Jay Cartwright throttled him for slandering some bus riders.
Chief refereeing officer of PGMOL Webb was hoping to make a big impression at the beginning of the 2023–2024 season, but Premier League officials quickly crushed his hopes. During the first month of play, the poor man was made to defend a number of questionable calls while Michael Owen asked the 2010 World Cup final referee inane questions.
A significant portion of the 2023–2024 campaign’s controversy has focused on the video assistant referee (VAR). Introduced to ease the workload of on-field officials, the technology hasn’t produced the increased precision that many had hoped for due to the complexity of the regulations and the seeming incompetence of the people in charge of it.
This season, Aston Villa appeared to be the team most hindered by VAR’s remote control, even though for a spell they might have been a spot or two higher up.
Although the results of each match would have been different, Villa were theoretically denied a goal that would have won three games that they ended up drawing. When Villa’s traveling gear was seen to be on the wrong side of the virtual offside lines away to Bournemouth and Everton, “goals” for Alex Moreno and Diego Carlos were chalked off. After VAR flagged a foul on Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, Leon Bailey also had a strike disallowed. Unai Emery claimed there was “too much VAR” involved following that 1-1 draw with the basement dwellers of the division, which was not surprising.
They would only be ahead by one point in the absence of VAR, as things have somewhat leveled out.
The Premier League table would look like this in the absence of VAR:
