Controversial VAR Calls That Could Decide Who Lifts the Premier League Trophy

Two controversial VAR calls in the space of days have upended both the Premier League and Scottish Premiership title races.

Arsenal's 1-0 win over West Ham was preserved after a late equaliser was disallowed; Celtic survived via a penalty awarded with eight seconds remaining.

Both decisions favoured the title-chasing side and both ignited fierce debate about whether VAR is working as designed.

What Do These VAR Decisions Mean for the Title Race?

Arsenal remain in control of their Premier League destiny.

Celtic now need only a win in the title decider against Hearts, down from the three-goal margin previously required. The VAR intervention carries multi-million-pound consequences for both clubs.

Were Both Controversial VAR Calls Correct?

The decisions diverged in quality. Near-universal agreement exists among pundits that Pablo's foul on goalkeeper David Raya was correctly identified.

The Celtic penalty drew the opposite consensus. Reportedly, former Scottish Premiership referee Bobby Madden told BBC 5 Live it "goes against the whole ethos of why VAR was introduced."

Was Scotland's VAR Even Equipped to Make This Call?

Premier League grounds provide a minimum of 28 cameras for VAR; most Scottish grounds have just six. VAR Andrew Dallas reportedly had one camera angle available, identical to what every viewer saw at home.

Did the Referee Have Enough Evidence to Change His Mind?

John Beaton spent 20 seconds at the monitor reviewing two replays.

At the London Stadium, referee Chris Kavanagh reportedly spent one minute 15 seconds watching 17 replays.

The gap reveals how unevenly VAR decisions are applied across competitions.

Is the Intervention Threshold Being Applied Consistently Across Leagues?

Premier League referees' chief Howard Webb has stated VAR must be "absolutely categorical" before acting, as per the BBC.

VAR Stuart Attwell could not clear that threshold even with multiple angles when reviewing Benjamin Sesko's goal against Liverpool. One angle under Scottish floodlighting apparently sufficed.

Has VAR Made Football Any Fairer?

According to fan writers across BBC Sport, the technology has created a second dispute on top of the first: the video review itself. Inconsistency, not individual errors, is now the defining complaint.

What Structural Changes Does the Game Now Urgently Need?

Some referees are reportedly part-time, working 40-50 hours weekly in separate careers.

The infrastructure gap is no longer deniable. Without investment in cameras, full-time officials, and clearer thresholds, VAR decisions will continue to destabilise rather than settle football's biggest prizes.

(With inputs from yMedia)