What Would The Premier League Table Look Like Without VAR?

With even more controversial VAR decision this week, here at Fastpayoutonlinecasinos we have looked back through every match of the Premier League season, and reversed any goal decision that was overturned by VAR.

Key Data Points: If VAR hadn’t overturned goal decisions

• Arsenal would gain a point in the title race 
• Brighton hardest hit by VAR this season, would be FIVE points better off without VAR
• Chelsea would be FOUR points worse off and comfortably in the bottom half
• Relegation places would be unchanged but Everton two points closer to bottom three

Premier League Table Without VAR Overturning On-field Goal/Penalty Decisions

Pos	Club	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Pts Diff	Pos diff
1	Arsenal	34	24	6	4	83	26	57	78	1	0
2	Manchester City	33	23	7	3	79	32	47	76	0	0
3	Liverpool	34	22	8	4	76	34	42	74	0	0
4	Aston Villa	34	20	7	7	74	54	20	67	1	0
5	Tottenham	32	18	8	6	65	49	16	62	2	0
6	Manchester United	33	16	4	11	55	51	4	52	-1	0
7	West Ham	34	14	9	11	57	63	-7	51	3	1
8	Newcastle	33	15	6	12	68	56	12	51	1	-1
9	Brighton	33	12	13	8	52	55	-3	49	5	2
10	Bournemouth	34	13	10	11	51	63	-12	49	4	0
11	Wolves	34	12	10	12	50	52	-2	46	3	-1
12	Chelsea	32	12	7	13	61	60	1	43	-4	-3
13	Crystal Palace	34	10	10	14	45	57	-12	40	1	-1
14	Fulham	34	11	4	19	48	58	-10	37	-5	-1
15	Brentford	34	9	8	17	52	60	-8	35	0	0
16	Everton	34	11	6	17	36	50	-14	31	-2	0
17	Nottingham Forest	34	7	8	19	42	61	-19	25	-1	0
18	Luton Town	34	6	6	22	46	74	-28	24	-1	0
19	Burnley	34	5	6	23	38	74	-36	21	-2	0
20	Sheffield United	34	3	7	24	35	94	-58	16	0	0

Theoretical table correct as of 26 April 2024

Methodology

All initial on-field decisions will be reinstated, meaning if a goal was given but later ruled out for offside, we have awarded it, and if a goal was disallowed but later awarded by VAR, we have discounted it.

This includes offside calls, fouls in the buildup and penalty decisions.

All penalties scored after VAR overturned the on-field decision have been discounted.

Any penalty ruled out by VAR after the on-field ref awarded it has been counted as a goal.

The results of these decisions have then been used to amend score lines from the season, giving an updated table which simulates if the Premier League did not use VAR and instead relied on the referee’s on-field decisions.

Commentary 

Liam Solomon, Head of Sports PR for Fastpayoutonlinecasino.com commented on the table changes:

“No team has been more negatively affected by VAR than Brighton this season. If all on-field goal decisions were allowed to stand, the Seagulls would be five points better off, and fighting for European football.

Likewise, Bournemouth are four points worse off thanks to VAR overturns. Without VAR they would be just three points below sixth place and well in the Europa League race.

In the title race, Arsenal would have gained one more point, giving the Gunners a better chance of holding off Liverpool and Manchester City.

Chelsea and Fulham have both been helped by VAR significantly, and would be four and five points worse off respectively without it.

The two West London rivals would both be comfortably in the bottom half of the table, with Chelsea well outside the European places.

At the foot of the table, the relegation battle would be marginally tighter, with Everton two points worse off without VAR, though their 2-0 victory against Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby has now all but assured their survival.

However, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and Luton Town would also lose at least one point each were on-field decisions reinstated.

Liverpool and Manchester City are two of only four teams (also Brentford and Sheffield United) who have a net result of zero points gained or lost through VAR.

All four sides have neither benefited nor lost out overall thanks to VAR. This is largely due to goal decisions overturned by VAR often coming in games where it did not affect the result, or else any points gained in one game were dropped in another thanks to VAR.”