Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct?
After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.
In this week's VAR Review: Was Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card at Wolves as controversial as has been made out? Should Ipswich Town's Julio Enciso had been sent off at Liverpool? And how does Manchester United's Lisandro Martínez keep getting away with two-footed challenges?
Wolves 0-1 Arsenal
Possible red card overturn: Foul by Lewis-Skelly on Doherty
What happened: Arsenal won a corner in the 43rd minute. It was easily cleared high and away by the Wolverhampton Wanderers defence, but Matt Doherty picked up the loose ball on the edge of the box and looked to break forward. Myles Lewis-Skelly brought Doherty down, with referee Michael Oliver producing a red card for serious foul play. It was checked and cleared by the VAR, Darren England. (watch here)
VAR decision: Red card stands
VAR review: Some of the discourse around this red card has been ridiculous, even dubbed by one pundit as "the worst decision ever seen in Premier League football history." It's not even the worst this season (see the incorrect stoppage-time match-winning VAR penalty given to West Ham United against Manchester United).
With the over-the-top reaction, perhaps it's no surprise that Oliver and his family have been subjected to "threats and abuse." It's possible to criticise an outcome without resorting to either hyperbole or attacks on referees, because there are clear grounds for the VAR to intervene and downgrade to a yellow card.
This should be looked as a wider assessment of serious foul play. If PGMOL wants to get tough on challenges that have endangered the safety of an opponent, this seems like a low bar to go in on.
There have been many worse challenges, perceived or otherwise, that haven't resulted in a red card. Indeed, with the Premier League's desire to have a higher-intensity game, players are far more likely to stay on the pitch than be sent off. It's why this decision feels like such an outlier.
So what did Oliver see, and why did the VAR support him?
When Lewis-Skelly makes the challenge, he does so with absolutely no chance of winning the ball and it's a deliberate attempt to take out an opponent. Oliver, who was very close to the incident, believed the initial contact was studs to Doherty's shin as the Wolves player was running. These two aspects made Oliver believe the line was crossed and that the tackle could endanger the safety of an opponent. But sometimes a referee can be too close to an incident to make an accurate assessment.
How VAR protocol works is important to what happened next, and why the intervention was missed.
We can be pretty sure that this wouldn't have been upgraded to a red had Oliver shown a yellow card; the original decision is so, so important. And if the referee gives an accurate description that can be backed up, the on-field call won't be changed. But crucially, how you find that evidence can influence the outcome.
Indeed, only one red card has been overturned through VAR this season, when the referee wrongly thought West Ham United's Guido Rodríguez had caught Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters with studs on shin when stretching into a challenge: It was a clear example of the official describing something different to the video evidence, as Rodríguez made only a small amount of contact on the toe of Walker-Peters' boot.
So Oliver said he'd given Lewis-Skelly a red card primarily for initial contact above the ankle. The VAR had the video evidence to support this, so the red card was upheld.
But that told only a small part of the story in judging the tackle. Was the VAR too quick to support the on-field call once they had the freeze-frame image? After all, in isolation this appears damning -- but such pictures usually do, because it removes all the context of force and intensity. It gives the impression of serious foul play rather than a trip, which was a more accurate assessment.
PGMOL will stand by this red card, as they did with the VAR dismissal of Christian Nørgaard at Everton, believing the contact was high (the Brentford player caught goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on his knee) and dangerous. Nørgaard, at least, was going for the ball while Lewis-Skelly's only intention was to bring down an opponent. But an appeal against the three-match ban will be decided by an independent panel of ex-players, and not PGMOL.
Though, even with the outcry, there's no guarantee Arsenal will win.
Nørgaard and Bruno Fernandes, for his dismissal against Tottenham Hotspur in September, won their red card appeals by only two votes to one, when the media reaction would have suggested a unanimous decision. Which ex-players are on a disciplinary commission, including whether they were attackers or defenders, will always affect the outcome, and a result is never completely predictable. Even so, the criticism of this from former players has been to such a level that it's difficult to see this appeal being rejected.
Gab & Juls react to Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card for Arsenal against Wolves in the Premier League.
These kinds of red cards have actually been seen before, however, and in Arsenal games. While no two decisions are ever the same, there are similarities in nature.
In the north London derby in October 2022, Emerson Royal was dismissed after he caught Gabriel Martinelli on the shin with a needless challenge -- though the Brazilian was by the touchline and not breaking forward.
And in October 2016, Granit Xhaka was shown a straight red card by Jon Moss for hacking down Swansea winger Modou Barrow as he tried to move down the wing on the halfway line.
Neither Spurs nor Arsenal appealed the decisions, and both served three-match bans.
Verdict: While PGMOL would like to back Oliver and the VAR's decision, a yellow card is far more in keeping with how the game is refereed in the Premier League. João Gomes was shown a second yellow card later in this game, which was consistent with decision-making as contact was right on the top of the boot with both players making a challenge. But when Lewis-Skelly gets a straight red card for a tackle that usually only results in a yellow, and would never be upgraded to red on review, then you have to accept there are going to be questions about consistency.
This is far from being the egregious decision it was painted as. But the red card should have been downgraded to yellow on review.
Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich
Possible red card: Challenge by Enciso on Endo
What happened: Julio Enciso had been on the pitch as a substitute for only two minutes when he launched into a high challenge on Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo. Referee Michael Salisbury gave the Ipswich Town midfielder a yellow card for a reckless challenge, which was looked at by the VAR, Paul Tierney.
VAR decision: No red card.
VAR review: Two weeks ago, Brighton & Hove Albion attacker João Pedro escaped a VAR red card when he jumped into Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton. The decision of yellow card by referee Tony Harrington was supported by the video referee, who just so happened to be Salisbury.
The Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel were split on a red card, voting 3-2 that a caution was sufficient and 5-0 against a VAR intervention.
Yet Enciso's challenge was worse. It was higher, and leading with the hip into the upper body of Endo. It was much more like the VAR red card shown to Fulham attacker Raúl Jiménez for a foul on Sean Longstaff last season. The VAR for that match was once again Salisbury.
Verdict: We've spent part of this article discussing PGMOL's desire to protect player welfare with the nature of challenges, yet Enciso has gotten away with a booking for a tackle that resulted in a red card last season. While Jimenez jumped in slightly higher, Enciso crossed the line necessitating a VAR intervention for a red card.
Fulham 0-1 Man United
Possible red card: Martínez challenge on Traore
What happened: Fulham were on the attack in the 60th minute when winger Adama Traoré collided with Man United defender Lisandro Martínez on the edge of the area. Referee Anthony Taylor thought it was just a coming together, but the nature of Martínez's tackle was checked by the VAR, Jarred Gillett.
VAR decision: No red card.
VAR review: It's the second time this season that Martínez has made a challenge when jumping in with both feet off the ground.
Guidance on serious foul play challenges, followed by UEFA and the Premier League, states that if a challenge ends before it reaches the opponent, then it's impossible to endanger their safety. This is the only reason Martínez has escaped a red card.
Yet if we compare it to the Lewis-Skelly incident, it doesn't seem right there's no action against a player who has jumped towards an opponent with both feet off the ground. But it's the intended interpretation.
When Martínez made the same challenge on Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada, the KMI Panel had no choice but to unanimously say it was correct, as the referee followed the guidance. But there was no doubt about the true feelings of the ex-players who sit on the panel.
"The action viewed in isolation is a ridiculous challenge," the panel noted. "Martinez is so fortunate that he doesn't contact Kamada. The on-field decision was supported as correct on the basis that the action by Martinez had been completed and no contact was made, however the panel felt very strongly that this type of challenge has no place on the pitch."
Verdict: This cannot be a red card based upon how the serious foul play law is applied, yet it feels like a get-out-of-jail free card for Martínez to keep making the same challenge ... until he finally does land on an opponent. It should have been a free kick and a booking.
Brighton 0-1 Everton
Possible penalty: Handball by Veltman
What happened: Beto chased a ball into the box with Brighton & Hove Albion defender Joël Veltman, with referee Tim Robinson awarding a corner when the ball went behind. The Everton attacker appealed for handball, and it was checked by the VAR, Graham Scott (watch here).
VAR decision: Penalty, scored by Iliman Ndiaye.
VAR review: There was clear evidence of Veltman making a deliberate movement of the arm toward the ball.
Verdict: It would have been a huge surprise had the VAR not advised a penalty with the evidence of the camera behind the goal, which was on the referee's blind side.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Brentford
Possible penalty retake: Encroaching by Marc Guéhi
What happened: Brentford were awarded a penalty in the 61st minute when Maxence Lacroix caught Nathan Collins inside the area. Bryan Mbeumo stepped up to take the penalty but hit the post, and Marc Guéhi cleared. However, there was a check for encroachment by the VAR, Darren England.
VAR decision: Penalty retaken, scored by Mbeumo.
VAR review: The whole purpose of the D area is to keep players 10 yards from the spot on a penalty. Guéhi was inside the D when Mbeumo struck the ball, so he was encroaching and can't impact the play. As he cleared the ball in front of Mbeumo, he was deemed to have had an effect on the outcome of the penalty.
The quirk in this decision, and why it's so unfortunate for Guéhi, is that Mbeumo was unable to play the ball because it came directly off the post. A penalty taker cannot play the ball again until it has been touched by another player.
However, Vitaly Janelt was also behind Mbeumo and would also have had a chance to play the ball had it been left by Mbeumo. It's probably unlikely that Mbeumo would have left it for his teammate, but we'll never know because Guéhi impacted the play before that could happen.
Verdict: An easy VAR intervention, but one that took too long.
Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham
Possible red card: Violent conduct by Digne on Paquetá
What happened: West Ham United were awarded a free kick deep into first-half stoppage time. Before the kick could be taken, Lucas Paquetá went to ground claiming to have been elbowed by Lucas Digne. It was checked by the VAR, Paul Tierney.
VAR decision: No red card.
VAR review: The question for the VAR is whether this was petulant or violent, and whether Paquetá was really caused to go down because of it.
Replays suggest this was more a case of Digne trying to knock back at the West Ham midfielder, rather than a violent act to throw an elbow into his chest.
Verdict: Not to the threshold for violent conduct.
Some factual parts of this article include information provided by the Premier League and PGMOL.