Premier League panel rule on controversial Wolves incident - as VAR errors rise

VAR controversy is never far away from a Premier League match these days.

Since it was introduced there has been a huge amount of debate around incorrect decisions, and whether the technology has enhanced the Premier League.

Wolves even moved to try and have it removed at one stage due to incorrect decisions going against them.

New figures released by the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has revealed there have recently been three more VAR errors, taking the total for the season to 23.

After the latest review, the panel has ruled that Everton, who are the only side not to get a VAR ruling in their favour this season, were wrong denied a penalty in their draw with Man City.

It is the third time this season the Toffees should have been awarded a spot kick.

Elsewhere, it was found Bournemouth should have had a penalty in their clash with Crystal Palace.

And in West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford, it was ruled that the Hammers should have been given two spot kicks.

The panel also looked at other decisions and decided they were correct, including a controversial one in Wolves’ recent draw with Sunderland.

In the first half of the clash at Molineux, VAR intervened and it was judged Sunderland defender Dan Ballard had pulled the hair of Wolves forward Tolu Arokodare.

It was the second time the striker had been involved in a hair pulling incident. Ballard was sent off and after the game the decision caused a stir, with Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris questioning the rule.

He said: “We understand the rule and I think Paul Tierney is a great referee but the execution of the rule is very hard to digest because I don’t think it is intentional and violent conduct.

“We don’t want to be controversial, we are here to help the game, many people are watching the Premier League and we want to be clean in our behaviours, but football is football.

“It is a duel in the air and with a tall striker (who weighs) 100kg more or less, Ballard is massive as well, so the ball in the air 20 times in a game, many things can happen.

“If the rule is the rule, when you have a striker with long hair, you will have problems because you can’t defend. It was more or less the case. They executed the rule but it’s a bit hard to digest.”

The panel agreed by four votes to one that the decision to send Ballard off was the correct one.