Published 11:50 IST, June 18th 2020
Premier League VAR gaffe upsets fans after Sheffield United's goal ruled out; watch video
Villa Park witnessed the usual VAR controversy, albeit with no fans present in the stadium this time around, when Sheffield United were denied a goal.
The Premier League action resumed on Wednesday after 100 days of suspension but so did all the controversies that come along with the tournament. Wednesday saw two games being played – Aston Villa vs Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal. Villa Park witnessed the usual Video Assistant Referee (VAR) controversy, albeit with no fans present in the stadium this time around.
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Premier League VAR controversy: Referee denies goal to Sheffield United
The Aston Villa vs Sheffield United clash was marked by the VAR controversy when in the first half, a surprising no-call led for Sheffield United raged unease among the football fans. A free-kick from Sheffield saw the ball targetted at the goal before Aston Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland went back the goal line to latch at the ball. The goal was not given, while the VAR didn’t notify the referee that the call was under scrutiny.
Premier League VAR controversy: Hawk-Eye Innovations apologises
It was later revealed that match official Michael Oliver didn’t get buzzed in by his watch, which helps in determining the goal-line technology challenges. Accepting the error, Hawk-Eye Innovations, which is used to assess goal-line challenges, issued an apology after the game, citing criticism from several quarters. The statement claimed that despite the ball crossing the goal-line, the match official did not receive any signal on his watch nor his earpiece as per the Goal Decision System protocol.
There were seven cameras that were located in the stands around the goal post an those were occluded by the goalkeeper, defender and the goalpost. The statement asserted that such an extreme level of occlusion was never witnessed before in more than 9000 games that the Hawk-Eye Innovations has been in operation. The statement also clarified that the technology was tested prior to the game and it was completely functional. The innovations further apologized to the Premier League and Sheffield United for the unprecedented event.
Premier League VAR controversy: Ollie Norwood slams VAR
Sheffield United were visibly infuriated with the referee no-call that forced them to share a point with Aston Villa with the game ending in a goalless draw. Ollie Norwood, while speaking to SUTV questioned the official’s decision to not consult the VAR. He asserted that a review by VAR could’ve proved that the ball crossed the goal-line.
Premier League fixtures
Norwich City will host Southampton on Friday, with the game set to be played at 10.30 PM IST. Premier League giants Manchester United will take on Tottenham Hotspur away from home on Friday (Saturday according to IST), with 12.45 AM IST as the designated kick-off time.
Image courtesy: Sheffield United Twitter handle
Updated 11:51 IST, June 18th 2020