The VAR table: You won't believe who's top of the Premier League if you discount VAR decisions

The VAR table: You won't believe who's top of the Premier League if you discount VAR decisions
(Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Here at FourFourTwo, we're keeping a VAR table. That's a version of the Premier League table, without all the goals that the Video Assistant Referees have either awarded or chalked off.

If VAR ruled out a goal, we've added it back; if they awarded a penalty which was later scored, we've chalked it off. We've not changed red cards, obviously. So while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has raged about the state of refereeing, while the PGMOL has apologised for a human error to Liverpool and while just about every fan has had their say on the state of officiating, do decisions really level out over the course of a season?

Well, you may be surprised by some of the findings…

VIDEO: What REALLY Happened With VAR In Liverpool vs Tottenham

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The VAR table: How the Premier League looks without goals given by Video Assistant Referees
VAR table pos.Real world pos.+/-ClubPWDLFAGDPts
12+1Tottenham Hotspur1191224141028
21-1Manchester City119022781927
34+1Arsenal118122391425
43-1Liverpool1173125111424
55-Aston Villa1171326161022
66-Newcastle United1162326111520
77-Brighton & Hove Albion116232521420
88-Manchester United116051617-118
99-Brentford114341814415
1011+1Crystal Palace114341014-415
1110-1Chelsea114251713414
1212-West Ham United114251820-214
1314+1Wolverhampton Wanderers113351419-512
1413-1Nottingham Forest113351217-512
1516+1Everton113171118-710
1615-1Fulham11335918-912
1717-Luton Town111371021-116
1819+1Burnley11209927-186
1918-1Bournemouth11137927-186
2020-Sheffield United11119929-204

So according to some fans, referees have shown some bias to Tottenham this season – but the VAR table doesn't reflect that, with the Lilywhites denied points in their opening weekend encounter with Brentford and the North London Derby, when VAR didn't give them a penalty against the Gunners. Of course, the VAR table also doesn't account for Luis Diaz's disallowed strike in that controversial game, given that the Colombian's goal was overruled as offside by the on-field officials.

Arsenal, too, are slightly higher on the VAR table than in real life, since they were denied a point in the game against Newcastle United. But aside from that NLD goal, remember Alejandro Garnacho's strike at the Emirates, which he thought to be the winner? It perhaps would have been if the on-field ref had stuck with his decision: it doesn't make a difference in our VAR table, though, given that Arsenal won 3-1. 

Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United celebrates scoring a goal which is later disallowed for offside during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on September 03, 2023 in London, England.

Alejandro Garnacho had a goal ruled out by VAR against Arsenal (Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

There are other big decisions that haven't had any impact on the VAR table – and this is where the table itself shows its flaws.

For example, Monday night's chaotic fixture between Tottenham and Chelsea saw two VAR overturns but that wasn't half the story. The first of Spurs' two red cards was decided by VAR, which changed the entire game. 

Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea celebrates after scoring the team's fourth goal and his hat-trick during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England.

Chelsea profited from VAR in more ways than one against Spurs (Image credit: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Likewise, Rasmus Hojlund's goal against Brighton & Hove Albion was ruled out by VAR for the ball going out of play. Had that been allowed to stand, it would have been an equaliser just before half-time. Who knows how that game would've played out?

We'll never really have a true picture of what the game would look like without the intervention of technology. But for now, this is the best we've got…

More VAR stories

Tottenham vs Liverpool: why was Luis Diaz's goal wrongly disallowed by VAR?

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp blasts 'unfair' and 'crazy' decisions in Saturday's Premier League clash, while Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou admits he is not a fan of VAR.

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.