Keith Hackett has expressed astonishment over a recent statement from the PGMOL, which claims that VAR has committed only 13 errors this Premier League season.
The announcement, touted as a marked improvement, has left many questioning the integrity and transparency of the statistics behind such figures.
Officiating in the Premier League has once again come under the microscope this season, especially following contentious incidents like the red card issued to Myles Lewis-Skelly in the Wolves clash. League officials are now asserting that errors have decreased from 20 to just 13, a claim that Hackett finds hard to swallow given the high-pressure environment of top-flight football.
Also, the controversy deepened after a notable incident involving West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, where a clear foul in the build-up to a goal was not penalized by VAR. Saying so, Hackett believes that such decisions should count as errors, and he is incredulous that they could be overlooked in the final tally provided by the match officials.
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Questioning the source and methodology behind the PGMOL’s figures, Hackett challenged the reliability of the data. “Are you sure about these numbers?” he wondered, suggesting that fans would be equally surprised to learn of only 13 errors over such a demanding season. His skepticism is rooted in high-profile cases that seem to defy the claimed improvement.
Saying so, Hackett’s comments underscore a broader debate about VAR’s role and performance in modern football. The assertion that the technology has become nearly infallible is met with considerable doubt, particularly when incidents like Bowen’s missed call cast a long shadow over the league’s officiating standards.
Meanwhile, as the season progresses, the Premier League is hopeful for a quieter end to the campaign in terms of on-field controversies. However, the PGMOL’s claims have undoubtedly stirred the pot, leaving fans and critics alike to question whether the current VAR system can truly deliver the fairness and accuracy demanded by today’s high-stakes football.
