Thread by @DaleJohnsonESPN

🎺The time has arrived... the Monday VAR thread.

Reckon quite a bit in here will be largely unpopular, but hopefully it should go some way to explaining the processes at Tottenham vs. Man City and other games.

To begin, and this is the first thing many will not like, the process of awarding the penalty to Manchester City at Tottenham was pretty much flawless, in terms of VAR protocol.

Why did it take 1 min 55 secs for the penalty to be given? What happens if there's another incident?

As soon as an incident happens in a game, a check and review procedure will begin in the VAR hub.

Many people have said it should have taken seconds to give the penalty, but it really isn't as simple as that.

First, you have to get the correct and definitive camera angle.

You will be lucky to get that definitive angle first time, and in fact it wasn't until the VAR saw this angle from behind the goal that it was deemed conclusive.

But that review does NOT end there.

VAR protocol states that the Attacking Phase must be checked for any offence.

And that meant checking each of these possible passages for offside or a foul.

Now each of this four stages were quite simple, but it all adds to the time to make up the 1 min 55 secs.

There has also been a massive over-reaction to the game carrying on during the review.

This happens several times every weekend, yet this is the very first time in 250 fixtures that play has had to be stopped after the ball remained in play for the duration of a full review.

It's an extremely rare occurrence, because overturns themselves are not as regular perception may be (1 in 3 games in the PL).

The other question asked is why both VARs (lead and assistant) are not assessing different aspects of the review to save time. This is how it works.

A - Assistant VAR
B - Lead VAR
C - Replay Operator (Hawk-eye)

During a review the lead VAR is doing the actual review.

The AVAR is watching the live game to make markers for any possible supplementary review. So the AVAR cannot be involved in the review.

But to again reiterate the point about play continuing play during a review like this.

It would be madness to ALWAYS stop the game for a review - the number of times an overturn is needed vs. number of checks and reviews is not high. It would be a complete waste of time.

It's taken 250 games to see one of these - and there are many, many more idiosyncrasies of VAR that fans in England are yet to experience.

Things like this are very rare, but new situations will arise regularly which the Premier League has not seen before.

If during the review period:

SPURS SCORE: Goal cancelled and penalty to Man City

MAN CITY SCORE: Goal stands

MAN CITY SCORE OFFSIDE GOAL: Penalty to City

Any cards picked up in the review period stand unless they are for DOGSO or ending a promising attack.

Onto the Raheem Sterling possible red card. This is a decision that would have stayed with the on-field call either way.

While most ex-pros agree it was not a red card, some have made comparisons to the Aubameyang red, but that's not quite right.

In tackles such as this, force and intensity is just as important as the point of contact.

Aubameyang's challenge is much more of a lunge for the ball and endangers the opponent.

Sterling's challenge is more like Andy Robertson's, which was not a VAR red either.

Another crucial point here is that, contrary to popular belief, VAR decisions are made in REAL TIME.

Slow-mo will be used to judge point of contact, but the decision will be made in real-time speed.

Sterling's tackle does not look anywhere near as bad in normal speed.

Was in a penalty in the follow up on Sterling?

This is a poor image, but Sterling is already trailing his right foot before he gets to the ball. There is certainly no conclusive proof that Lloris fouls Sterling, so it would never be overturned to a penalty.

Now to Liverpool vs. Southampton - and I have to say I did not expect the VAR to give a penalty in either instance. Decisions that stay on the field.

The VAR hasn't given a single penalty for such challenges as the one on Firmino all season, where the ref has seen contact.

I don't think the Southampton incident, which then led to Liverpool's goal, is even a penalty.

Plenty will disagree, but I just don't see there been categoric proof that was a penalty.

Both would have been penalties IF given, but the VAR will not give penalties.

Onto Bjorn Engels being caught in the face by Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. You are unlikely to get a foul against the keeper if it's a genuine attempt to play the ball UNLESS it's reckless.

Here, Ederson and Ramsdale attempt to play the ball, Gazzaniga is reckless.

You are not getting a penalty for handball against Antonio Rudiger, with the arms tucked behind the back, if the VAR is not giving the examples against Villa and Tottenham players.

Finally (I think) on West Ham v Brighton. I don't think there is ANY chance the VAR will give the foul on Fabianski when the ball comes in. Contact really was minimal.

And the decision to give the goal after handball was excellent. It hit the chest/side.

VAR STATS

Overturns: 75
Goals: 19
Disallowed goals: 38
Pens: 12 (5 missed)
Pens overturned: 4 (1 for offside)
Pen retakes: 4 (1 from scored, 3 from missed)
Offside: 25
Awarded after offside: 7
Handball: 7
Allowed after wrong handball: 2
Reds: 5
Overturned reds: 3

VAR STATS (cont)

Most for: Brighton 9
Fewest for: Aston Villa, Newcastle, Norwich 1
Most against: Sheff Utd, West Ham 8
Fewest against: Newcastle 0
Most net for: Brighton 7
Most net against: Norwich, Sheffield United 6
Most involvement: West Ham 12
Least: Newcastle 1

VAR STATS (cont)

Most goals awarded: Crystal Palace 3
Most disallowed goals for: Sheffield United 5
Most goals to opposition: West Ham 4
Most disallowed for opposition: Brighton, Southampton 6

espn.co.uk/football/engli…

VAR net score

Brighton +7
Crystal Palace +5
Man United +4
Southampton +3
Bournemouth +2
Burnley +2
Leicester +2
Liverpool +1
Newcastle +1
Man City 0
Tottenham 0
Watford 0
Everton -1
Arsenal -2
Aston Villa -2
Chelsea -2
West Ham -4
Wolves -4
Norwich City -6
Sheffield United -6

One additional point on the Ings incident in Southampton v Liverpool.

PGMOL say the VAR should NOT have given a penalty for this foul on Deulofeu. I see very little difference, if any, between the two.