Premier League winners and losers: Water is wet, Arsenal lose at Stoke
By Ty Finch
Winner: VAR
The Video Assistant Referee system has yet to be used in the Premier League, but after the display referee Andre Marriner and his crew put on Saturday afternoon, it’s easy to see why a portion of soccer fans are clamoring for its implementation.
An early heel clip on Hector Bellerin in the box that would have given Arsenal a penalty in the eighth minute was missed, an Alexandre Lacazette goal was wrongly called offside and Shkodran Mustafi got a free pass on a tackle that could’ve been a red card had Andre Marriner not been making up a missed call from seconds earlier.
It’s rarely warranted, couth or useful in any way to complain about refereeing. They have the impossible job of policing an entire pitch filled with the best athletes on the earth for 90 minutes. Fans on both sides feel hard done by on every call. They have to make major decisions on minuscule aspects of the game. It’s a shame that technology hasn’t advanced to the point where referees could have almost automatic assistance in high-pressure situations. Oh, right.
There are still chinks in the VAR armor. The biggest chasm is the amount of time it takes to confirm or change a call on the pitch. Goals can go in, players and supporters celebrate alike, then it’s disallowed a minute later. Other small instances like players letting down their guard after an offside is called only to be scored upon after, need to be ironed out.
VAR will be implemented in the Premier League for the 2018-19 season. It will most certainly be a hotly debated topic and the source of ire for soccer purists. But every wrongly awarded red card and disallowed/allowed goal this season will make it more of a necessity.