Premier League data reveals biggest winners, losers from VAR decisions

Arsenal and Chelsea emerged as the primary beneficiaries of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and other officiating decisions during the 2025-26 Premier League season. Data from the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel, obtained by BBC Sport, revealed that Arsenal were favored by seven incorrect decisions, while Chelsea benefited from eight.

Chelsea recorded the highest positive VAR balance, experiencing no negative errors throughout the campaign. The report highlighted instances such as a wrongly disallowed Fulham goal and an incorrect penalty awarded against Crystal Palace, both of which favored Chelsea. The panel also indicated that Chelsea should have conceded penalties in matches against Brighton and Bournemouth.

Bournemouth also featured among clubs that gained from officiating mistakes, with defender Marcos Senesi escaping red cards on two occasions. Conversely, Crystal Palace and Everton were identified as the season's biggest losers due to VAR decisions. Everton were denied penalties in matches against Arsenal, West Ham, and Manchester City, while Palace suffered from three major incorrect calls.

Despite these controversies, the overall number of VAR errors in the Premier League decreased to 25 during the 2025-26 season. This marks an improvement from the 31 errors recorded in the 2023-24 season and 38 in the 2022-23 season, suggesting a trend towards greater accuracy in officiating.