The 2023/24 Premier League table would have a different look after Matchday 7 if VAR hadn’t been introduced to football.
The Video Assistant Referee which was meant to aid referees in making better decisions has become a mechanism that has attracted scrutiny in recent weeks.
VAR has generated lots of controversy in the English top-flight division this term, with the most recent occurrence happening in the Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool clash.
Spurs defeated Jurgen Klopp’s side 2-1 on Saturday, September 30, 2023, and the game was marred by a decision made by VAR to cancel Luis Diaz’s goal for offside.
PGMOL had to apologize for the mistake and the VAR officials involved in that unfortunate error were replaced for subsequent matches.
This has led many into bewilderment, wondering if the beautiful game that we love would have been better without the aid of technology.
The 2023/24 Premier League table without VAR
Anyway, let’s center our attention on what the Premier League table would look like without VAR.
Shockingly, Tottenham Hotspur would be sitting pretty at the top of the table, if VAR hadn’t been introduced to the Premier League.
Manchester City would have fallen to 2nd on the table, and it would have been a bigger testament to the outstanding season Spurs have had so far.
Bryan Mbuemo’s penalty in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 draw with Brentford would not have been called, if not for the use of VAR.
This would have seen Spurs earn 3 massive points, 2 points better than the 1 point they picked up.
Thomas Frank’s Brentford should be thankful for the introduction of VAR, as they would have been one of the worst-hit sides this season.
They would have been winless after 7 league matches, losing twice and drawing 5 of their other fixtures.
That would have seen the Bees drop down to 15th on the Premier League table, one position below the 14 that they currently occupy.
In the relegation zone, Vincent Kompany’s Burnley would have secured their first win of the campaign, which would have seen them amass about 3 points this season and not the 1 point that they have.
They would not have moved out of the murky waters of relegation, but it would have been more helpful in the fight to beat the drop.
Manchester United and Chelsea do not have VAR to blame over their league positions this season
Chelsea would still be in the bottom half of the table, sitting 11th on the log with 2 wins from their first 7 matches, just as they currently have.
The Blues will be with the 8 points that they have amassed this campaign, drawing 2 matches and losing 3.
Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United, who occupy the 10th spot on the Premier League table, would also still remain in the position they currently sit.
Despite it being their worst points tally amassed since the 1989 season, they don’t have VAR as a tenable excuse for their woeful performances this term.
It is worth noting that there have been contentious calls in matches involving Manchester United.
There have been notable calls for penalties in two matches; Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The game against Mikel Arteta’s side, Rasmus Hojlund was hauled to the ground, and on another day, VAR could have called for a penalty.
In the game against Spurs, Alejandro Garnacho had a shot from the front of the box which was blocked by Cristian Romero with his arm.
However, it is worth noting that with both calls, the referee also didn’t gesticulate for a penalty to Manchester United, and that would still have seen them remain 10th under normal circumstances.
Liverpool, who were also infuriated with the decision made by VAR on September 30, 2023, will still have remained in a similar state due to the fact that the on-field officials also chose to disallow the goal for offside before consulting the Video Assistant Referee.
English Premier League table without VAR after Matchday 7
1) Tottenham Hotspur – 19 points
2) Manchester City – 18 points
3) Arsenal – 17 points
4) Liverpool – 16 points
5) Aston Villa – 15 points
6) Brighton and Hove Albion – 15 points
7) West Ham United – 13 points
8) Newcastle United – 12 points
9) Crystal Palace – 11 points
10) Manchester United – 9 points
11) Chelsea – 8 points
12) Nottingham Forest – 8 points
13) Fulham – 8 points
14) Brentford – 7 points
15) Wolverhampton Wanderers – 7 points
16) Everton – 4 points
17) Luton Town – 4 points
18) Bournemouth – 3 points
19) Burnley – 3 points
20) Sheffield United – 1 point
