The Premier League's match officials centre has conceded that two crucial VAR decisions during Manchester United's narrow 2-1 win over Brentford were incorrect, throwing the spotlight back on refereeing standards in England's top flight.
Controversial Calls That Changed the Game
According to former Premier League referee Chris Foy, writing in the league's official review series 'Match Officials: Mic'd Up', both teams were affected by significant officiating errors that could have altered the outcome of the match.
For Brentford: The Bees were wrongly denied a first-half penalty when United's defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka clearly handled the ball in the penalty area. Despite VAR review, the on-field decision of no penalty stood - a call that has since been acknowledged as incorrect.
For Manchester United: The Red Devils benefited from another questionable decision when they were awarded a second-half penalty after Rasmus Højlund went down under minimal contact from Brentford's Kristoffer Ajer.
Transparency or Damage Control?
The Premier League's decision to publicly acknowledge these errors through their weekly review represents an ongoing effort to increase transparency around officiating decisions. However, for Brentford manager Thomas Frank and his team, the admission provides little consolation after dropping crucial points.
Chris Foy emphasised that while VAR intervention should have occurred for both incidents, the system failed to correct clear and obvious errors - exactly the type of mistakes it was designed to prevent.
Growing Pressure on PGMOL
This latest controversy adds to mounting pressure on Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), who have faced increased scrutiny this season over inconsistent decision-making. The admission comes just weeks after several other high-profile errors were acknowledged in previous match rounds.
As the Premier League season reaches its crucial final months, questions remain about whether current VAR protocols are fit for purpose, or if more fundamental changes are needed to restore confidence in the officiating process.
