Video assistant referee errors have risen in the first half of the Premier League season.
Data collected by BBC Sport taken from the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel shows mistakes have increased 30% season-on-season from 10 to 13.
It is still a marked improvement on previous years, with 20 errors at this stage of the 2023-24 campaign and 23 in 2022-23.
All but two of the mistakes are missed interventions, up from seven to 11, when the video assistant refereee (VAR) failed to advise the referee he should change a decision.
Incorrect interventions are down from three to two. But total overturns have also dropped from 57 in 2024-25 to 47 this season – a fall of 17.54%.
The KMI Panel also catalogues on-field mistakes which did not reach the clear and obvious threshold for VAR to intervene. There are also up from 12 to 15.
Here is every mistake this season across these categories.
The KMI Panel meets every week to dissect each decision, from goals to penalties to red cards.
It has five members: three former players and coaches, plus one representative each from the Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO).
The KMI Panel was created by the Premier League clubs in 2022 to take performance stats out of the hands of the refereeing body.
Crucially, it is not intended to look at each incident like any fan or manager would. It takes into account the laws of the game and, crucially, how the Premier League expects its games to be refereed.
That is why the list of errors will not be as extensive as supporters would expect.
The KMI Panel first looks at the decision of the on-field referee team, and then of the VAR.
As the VAR is operating to a higher threshold – clear and obvious – there are times when the KMI Panel will say the referee was wrong but the VAR was correct not to intervene.
The KMI Panel also considers second yellow cards which were missed, or incorrectly shown.
The ball accidentally hit Marcos Senesi’s arm but he then deliberately batted it away just as Hugo Ekitike was about to run through on goal. The referee did not show Senesi a card having deemed it to not be foul play.
The VAR, Michael Oliver, only looked at the first touch on the arm.
On-field vote: 1-4
VAR vote: 1-4
What the panel said: “There is a secondary action by Senesi, where he moves his arm to flick the ball away, which is a handball offence. The majority feel that this was an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.”
The game was goalless in the 21st minute when Josh King scored to give Fulham the lead.
Referee Rob Jones initially gave the goal. It was wrongly ruled out through a VAR review for a foul in the build-up by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah.
This was a high-profile error which led to the VAR, Michael Salisbury, being stood down from his next appointment.
On-field vote: 5-0
VAR vote: 0-5
What the panel said: “Muniz has possession and Chalobah tries to step in to win the ball. This contact is normal in the context of the skill Muniz was performing.”
Hugo Bueno tried to jink back inside in the 70th minute, but went down under a challenge from Iliman Ndiaye.
Referee Michael Oliver allowed play to continue and the VAR, Craig Pawson, decided there was not enough in it for a review.
Wolves trailed 3-1 at the time and could have got back into the game.
On-field vote: 1-4
VAR vote: 2-3
What the panel said: “Bueno turns back into Ndiaye who does not make any contact on the ball. The contact made is careless and the panel felt that a penalty should have been awarded.”
Nathan Collins pulled back Bryan Mbeumo as he was about to latch on to a pass.
Referee Craig Pawson gave the penalty but only cautioned Collins. The VAR, Andy Madley, did not think Mbeumo was in control to be denied a scoring chance.
Brentford, 2-1 up in the 71st minute, should have been reduced to 10 men. And Bruno Fernandes’ penalty was saved.
On-field vote: 0-5
VAR vote: 0-5
What the panel said: “There is an impactful holding action by Collins which is not an attempt to play the ball. Mbuemo is clearly prevented from having a clear shot at goal.”
Malo Gusto raised a foot to make a clearance, not realising Yankuba Minteh was behind him.
The Brighton player went down holding his head, but referee Simon Hooper did not believe there was contact. The VAR, Darren England, felt there was no conclusive proof for an overturn.
The game was 1-1 in the 87th minute but Brighton scored twice in stoppage time.
On-field vote: 0-5
VAR vote: 0-5
What the panel said: “Gusto’s foot is raised and makes clear contact with the shoulder and head of Minteh and the VAR should have intervened.”
Referee Jarred Gillett was sent to the pitchside monitor by the VAR, Alex Chilowicz.
Gillett rejected the advice that Senesi should be sent off for a denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) foul on Ismaila Sarr. He stuck by his yellow card because he felt the ball was moving away from goal.
Bournemouth were 2-0 up in the 51st minute when the incident happened.
This goes down as a correct VAR intervention, but incorrect final outcome.
On-field vote: 2-3
VAR vote: 3-2
What the panel said: “The majority felt that Sarr was very likely to gain possession with the ability to create an obvious goalscoring opportunity.”
Dan Burn stood on the foot of Dango Ouattara with the Brentford player theatrically throwing himself to the ground.
It was the reaction which caused the VAR, Paul Tierney, to stay out of it.
Brentford did get a penalty shortly afterwards for a clash between the same two players.
On-field vote: 0-5
VAR vote: 2-3
What the panel said: “The panel were unanimous in their view that Burn commits a careless tripping offence. The panel were however split regarding the VAR outcome. Two members felt that the referee’s call should stand as the contact was glancing.”
Bournemouth trailed West Ham 2-0 when they were given a penalty in the 66th minute. Max Kilman had handled the ball when he was on the ground.
Referee Thomas Bramall only showed a yellow card, and VAR Michael Oliver supported that.
But there had been a deliberate movement of the arm by Kilman to prevent Evanilson getting a shot off.
On-field vote: 0-5
VAR vote: 1-4
What the panel said: “There is clear evidence that Kilman makes an additional movement with his arm to swipe the ball and in doing so this denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity.”
The game was goalless after 17 minutes when Phil Foden released a shot. He was caught late by Fabian Schar.
Defenders are given a fair bit of latitude to try to block a shot, and a natural collision will not be ruled as a penalty.
On-field vote: 2-3
VAR vote: 2-3
What the panel said: “Despite Foden getting a shot away, Schar makes a reckless foul challenge. Two panellists supported the decision as contact was a consequence of the momentum of the blocking action, and not clearly reckless.”
Emmanuel Agbadou angled his body into the path of a shot to stop the ball, but VAR Stuart Attwell did not send referee Michael Salisbury to the monitor.
On-field vote: 0-5
VAR vote: 1-4
What the panel said: “Agbadou leans in towards the ball with a straight arm and his arm blocks the shot heading towards goal.”
Everton were losing 1-0 when William Saliba and Thierno Barry went for a bouncing ball. Barry got there first and was kicked by the Arsenal defender.
The VAR, Michael Salisbury, decided there wasn’t enough contact to send referee Sam Barrott to the screen.
On-field vote: 2-3
VAR vote: 2-3
What the panel said: “A late challenge where Saliba carelessly kicks Barry with no contact on the ball. Two panellists supported the on-field no penalty call as they felt there was not enough impact and a delayed reaction.”
For the second time the VAR failed to intervene to award a penalty against Gusto.
It was 2-2 in the 54th minute when Marcus Tavernier played a long cross to David Brooks. Gusto jumped to head it and the ball landed on his outstretched arm.
The VAR, Craig Pawson, wrongly determined that the ball had hit the Chelsea player too high on the arm for handball.
On-field vote: 1-4
VAR vote: 2-3
What the panel said: “The panel felt that the ball hit the ‘red zone’ of his arm that was raised in an unjustifiable position.”
Igor Thiago ran on to a ball over the top in the 56th minute, with Tottenham defender Cristian Romero making a wild swipe to try to intercept.
Romero made no contact on the ball and brought down the Brentford striker. The VAR, Alex Chilowicz, felt there was no clear and obvious error in not giving the foul.
On-field vote: 2-3
VAR vote: 2-3
What the panel said: “Romero doesn’t play the ball and then brings down Thiago, who has a high likelihood of gaining control of the ball, travelling towards goal, with no covering defenders.”
The number of mistakes only tell part of the story. It is just as important when they happened.
For instance, the one error Brighton suffered came late in a game at Chelsea which they went on to win 3-1. The mistake had no impact upon the result.
Errors suffered:
Brighton 1
Everton 1
Fulham 1
Wolves 1
Bournemouth, Brentford and Manchester United have suffered two VAR errors.
Manchester United would argue that had Brentford been reduced to 10 men they would have had a better chance of rescuing the game. Their other error came in a 4-1 win at Wolves.
Brentford have experience of this too, as Spurs should have had 10 men for most of the second half in that match. Their second error suffered came in the win against Newcastle.
Bournemouth were affected when West Ham‘s Kilman was not sent off after conceding a penalty in the 69th minute of a 2-2 draw. They should also have had a penalty at Chelsea in a game which was also 2-2.
Errors gained from:
Chelsea 3
Arsenal 1
Everton 1
West Ham 1
Wolves 1
Chelsea have gained the most from errors. Their home win over Fulham and draw with Bournemouth could have had different outcomes if the VAR had got the decisions correct.
Bournemouth twice should have had Senesi sent off: in the 3-3 at Crystal Palace and the loss at Liverpool.
Newcastle should have conceded an early penalty in their win over Manchester City, though they lost at Brentford.
Arsenal, Brentford and Everton benefited in games they won; Tottenham‘s and West Ham‘s came in draws.
The second category is mistakes on the field which the KMI Panel felt did not reach the threshold for a VAR intervention.
There have been 15 this season, compared to 12 in 2024-25.
The 15 are:
Man City v Tottenham: Penalty not given for a foul on Oscar Bobb
Brentford v Aston Villa: Goal disallowed for a push on Emiliano Martinez
Arsenal v Leeds: Penalty given for a foul on Max Dowman
Fulham v Man Utd: Goal awarded despite push on Calvin Bassey
Sunderland v Brentford: Penalty not given for Reinildo holding Nathan Collins
West Ham v Tottenham: Disallowed goal for a foul by Micky van de Ven
Man City v Liverpool: Disallowed goal, Andrew Robertson offside and impacting
Sunderland v Bournemouth: Penalty given for a foul on Reinildo
Chelsea v Arsenal: Enzo Fernandez offside and impacting on Trevoh Chalobah goal
Tottenham v Brentford: No Cristian Romero serious foul play red card
Fulham v Crystal Palace: Penalty not given for challenge by Joachim Andersen
Liverpool v Brighton: No serious foul play red card for Diego Gomez
Newcastle v Chelsea: No penalty for challenge on Anthony Gordon
Wolves v Brentford: Penalty award for foul by Caoimhin Kelleher
Brentford v Tottenham: No penalty for a foul on Archie Gray
If a decision has not appeared on this page then the KMI Panel voted it correct on the field and through VAR.
The panel has ruled that five players have escaped a second caution. At the halfway stage of 2024-25 there had been eight errors.
This season’s list is:
Malick Thiaw for Newcastle at Bournemouth
Andre for Wolves at Aston Villa
Aaron Wan-Bissaka for West Ham at Manchester United
Ruben Dias for Manchester City at Nottingham Forest
Mikel Merino for Arsenal at home to Aston Villa
