The VAR Review: Tottenham vs. Chelsea - timeline of chaos
The Tottenham vs. Chelsea match on November 6, 2023, was one of the most controversial Premier League matches in recent memory. VAR played a starring role in the game, with a total of seven checks and three overturned decisions.
Timeline of events
6th minute: Dejan Kulusevski gives Tottenham the lead with a deflected strike.
14th minute: Son Heung-min scores what he thinks is Tottenham's second goal, but it is ruled out for offside by VAR.
19th minute: Destiny Udogie makes a two-footed lunge on Raheem Sterling, but only receives a yellow card. VAR checks the incident but does not upgrade it to a red card.
21st minute: Sterling scores for Chelsea, but it is ruled out for handball by VAR.
22nd minute: Cristian Romero makes a reckless challenge on Enzo Fernández. VAR checks the incident and awards Chelsea a penalty and a red card to Romero. Cole Palmer scores the penalty to equalize.
28th minute: Moises Caicedo scores for Chelsea, but it is ruled out for offside against Jackson.
37th minute: Jackson scores for Chelsea, but it is again ruled out for offside.
45+7 minutes: Romero makes another reckless challenge, this time on Pedro Porro. VAR checks the incident but does not award a penalty.
45+11 minutes: Reece James makes a high challenge on Udogie. VAR checks the incident but does not award a red card.
76th minute: Jackson scores a legitimate goal for Chelsea to put them ahead against the nine men of Tottenham.
78th minute: Eric Dier scores for Tottenham, but it is ruled out for offside.
VAR controversy
The VAR decisions in the Tottenham vs. Chelsea match were highly controversial. Many fans and pundits felt that Udogie's two-footed lunge on Sterling should have been a red card, and that Romero's challenge on Fernández should have been a yellow card at most.
There were also questions about the accuracy of the VAR offside calls. Son's goal was disallowed for a very narrow offside, and Dier's goal was disallowed for an even narrower offside.
Conclusion
The Tottenham vs. Chelsea match was a perfect example of the VAR controversy that has plagued the Premier League in recent seasons. VAR is a valuable tool for reviewing refereeing decisions, but it is also important to ensure that the decisions are made consistently and fairly.
Analysis of the VAR decisions
Udogie's two-footed lunge on Sterling
The VAR decision not to upgrade Udogie's yellow card to a red card was highly controversial. The challenge was reckless and dangerous, and it could have easily caused serious injury to Sterling.
Romero's challenge on Fernández
The VAR decision to award Chelsea a penalty and a red card to Romero was also controversial. Romero did make contact with Fernández, but it was a clumsy challenge rather than a malicious one.
The offside calls
The VAR offside calls were also controversial. Son's goal was disallowed for a very narrow offside, and Dier's goal was disallowed for an even narrower offside.
Impact of the VAR decisions
The VAR decisions had a major impact on the outcome of the match. Chelsea were awarded a penalty and a red card in the first half, which gave them a significant advantage. Tottenham were then reduced to nine men in the second half, and Chelsea scored the winning goal shortly after.
Conclusion
The VAR decisions in the Tottenham vs. Chelsea match were highly controversial. It is clear that VAR is a valuable tool for reviewing refereeing decisions, but it is also important to ensure that the decisions are made consistently and fairly.
Additional thoughts
The Tottenham vs. Chelsea match was a perfect example of the challenges that VAR faces. VAR is a complex system, and it is very difficult to get everything right. There will always be some controversy surrounding VAR decisions, but it is important to remember that VAR is still under development.
It is also important to remember that VAR is not a replacement for human referees. VAR is a tool that can be used to assist referees, but it is the referee who ultimately makes the decision.
The Tottenham vs. Chelsea match was a reminder that VAR is not perfect, but it is a valuable tool for improving the accuracy of refereeing decisions.