Liverpool affected most by VAR mistakes; Arsenal & Man Utd among top beneficiaries
- Premier League chief eyeing VAR improvements after issues in 2023/24 campaign
- Both frequency and duration of checks proving problematic this season
- Stats reveal which clubs have benefitted and suffered at the hands of VAR
By Tom Gott
A report has named Liverpool as the club which has suffered most from incorrect VAR decisions this season.
Premier League chief Tony Scholes wants improvements to the VAR process amid concerns over both the frequency of checks during games but also the duration of those checks, which he acknowledges are impacting the experience of fans.
The length of an average check has risen ever since Liverpool suffered from the biggest VAR error of all - the decision to disallow Luis Diaz's goal against Tottenham in September - and ESPN state that the Reds have the worst luck when it comes to VAR errors.
In total, there have been 20 VAR mistakes this season - those errors include incorrect overturns, referees wrongly rejecting VAR advice and simple missed decisions - and Liverpool have been on the wrong end of four of those.
Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers have both suffered three wrong calls, while Arsenal have suffered two missed decisions. A further eight different clubs have felt one incorrect VAR call this season.
As for the sides who have benefitted most from the missed calls, Aston Villa top the charts with three mistakes in their favour.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have all profited from two VAR errors.
"It's critical that the match officials keep up with the quality and the advancement of the players and the coaches," Scholes said. "Further improvement is always required. I know myself from my club background that one mistake can be incredibly costly to a club and can be incredibly costly to individuals.
"It's important that all of us at the league and in the refereeing organisation stay mindful of that and of the need to keep developing, keep improving so that we are in a world where no factual mistakes at all are made and subjective mistakes are minimized."
Scholes added: "The openness and integrity needs to be there. It needs to be self-evident and people need to have confidence in the system."
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