James Maddison Critiques VAR Decisions in Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison has criticized referees and video assistant referees (VAR) for their poor performance at the start of the Premier League season.
Maddison, currently sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, voiced his concerns on X following the disallowance of Cristian Romero's goal during Spurs' 3-0 victory over West Ham United.
The Tottenham captain believed he had scored the opening goal at the London Stadium on Saturday, but referee Jarred Gillett ruled it out due to an alleged foul by Micky van de Ven on Kyle Walker-Peters prior to the goal.
VAR official John Brooks reviewed the incident but upheld Gillett's decision, stating that Van de Ven had pushed Walker-Peters in the back, thus impacting his ability to play the ball.
Replays appeared to show that West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen had inadvertently pushed Mateus Fernandes into Van de Ven, who then collided with Walker-Peters.
In response to the controversial decision, Maddison expressed his frustration, stating, "Honestly, the referees and VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season. If that goal is disallowed for a foul, you will never see a corner taken without the referee blowing for something ever again."
Former Wales centre-back Ashley Williams echoed Maddison's sentiments, asserting that Romero's goal should have counted. He noted, "West Ham's goalkeeper pushed his own player into Micky Van de Ven, who then collided with Kyle Walker-Peters, but the Tottenham player didn’t initiate that contact. We’ve watched it back numerous times and you can see he doesn’t push Walker-Peters over."
Williams added, "The referee made the decision on the field, and because of that, VAR was reluctant to intervene. We would like to see more goals awarded, and this was the wrong decision, which is frustrating."
Fortunately for Spurs, goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, and Van de Ven secured a win against a 10-man West Ham.
Other VAR Controversies This Season
In a match on August 15, Liverpool defeated Bournemouth 4-2, leaving Anfield perplexed by the officials' decision not to penalize Bournemouth defender Marco Senesi for what appeared to be a deliberate handball that denied Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike a clear scoring opportunity. The Premier League later stated that Senesi's action was not considered a clear handball offense due to the distance from goal.
In another match on August 24, Fulham drew 1-1 with Manchester United, where Fulham defender Calvin Bassey claimed he was pushed by Leny Yoro in the buildup to United's second-half opener. Fulham head coach Marco Silva remarked that "everybody could see" the infringement.
On August 30, Chelsea defeated Fulham 2-0, but Silva and his players were outraged when a goal by teenager Joshua King was disallowed by VAR for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz. The Key Match Incidents panel later admitted that the goal should have been awarded, stating that they unanimously supported the original on-field decision to allow play to continue.
Also on August 30, Manchester United edged Burnley 3-2, with Burnley manager Scott Parker lamenting that football risked becoming "the most sterile game there is" after two VAR decisions went against his team. A controversial goal by Lyle Foster was ruled out by semi-automated offside technology, and a late penalty was awarded to United after Jaidon Anthony was penalized for a foul on Amad Diallo.
In a match between Wolves and Everton on the same day, referee Michael Oliver failed to award a penalty for a foul on Hugo Bueno, an oversight that VAR did not correct. The Key Match Incidents panel later stated that a penalty should have been awarded, describing the referee's failure to act as a clear and obvious error.
Former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock expressed his concerns, stating, "Whichever way you look at it, the game’s going backwards now. It’s not enjoyable to watch."