Premier League Everton Crystal Palace Manchester United Liverpool

New season, same referee and VAR controversy

Aug 19, 2025 — 4 min read
New season, same referee and VAR controversy

The opening weekend of a thrilling new Premier League season is complete, yet already we are left discussing a series of contentious referee and VAR decisions that dominate the talking points from gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 season.

From handballs to disallowed goals and penalty disputes, the opening weekend highlighted the ongoing challenges of officiating in the Premier League and how the VAR at Stockley Park is used. Below, we analyse four key incidents that fueled debate across the Liverpool vs. Bournemouth, Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea, Manchester United vs. Arsenal, and Everton vs. Leeds United fixtures.

1. Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: Handball Controversy Overlooked

In the opening game of the new season between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield, a handball incident involving Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi went unpunished.

The incident occurred in the 13th minute, when Senesi mis-controlled the ball as the last man in defence and then attempted to slap the ball away from the pressing Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike, who would've had a free run at goal, albeit from the halfway line.

Premier League Match Centre statement: The refereeā€™s call of no red card to Senesi was checked and confirmed by VAR ā€“ with the action deemed not to be a clear handball offence nor denial of a goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO), due to the distance from goal.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher shared the following view on the Sky Sports Ref Watch: "The VAR cleared it too quickly. If it goes to the screen he would have been sent off. It was a mistake and fortunately it didn't affect the outcome of the game."

2. Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea: VAR Overturns Free-Kick Goal

At Stamford Bridge, Crystal Palace thought they had taken the lead against Chelsea through a well-executed free-kick by Eberechi Eze.

However, VAR intervened, overturning the decision due to an infringement. The in-stadium announcement, a new feature in the Premier League, clarified that Palaceā€™s Marc Guehi was less than one meter away from the defensive wall when the shot was taken, resulting in an indirect free-kick for Chelsea instead.

Referee Darren England and VAR James Bell faced scrutiny, with Palace fans arguing the call was overly pedantic, with not a single Chelsea player appealing for the goal to be disallowed.

Eze's disallowed free kick is the first time a goal has ever been ruled out for that reason in the Premier League, despite it being introduced in 2019.

Upon further review of the many direct free-kicks scored last season, most teams for the goal scored, had a player within 1m of the opposition's defensive wall.

3. Manchester United vs. Arsenal: Penalty Appeal Denied

The high-profile encounter at Old Trafford saw Arsenal edge out Manchester United 1-0, but a controversial moment arose when United appealed for a penalty.

A challenge in the box was waved away by referee Simon Hooper, with VAR Paul Tierney upholding the on-field decision. Manchester United fans were left furious as they believed the contact deserved closer scrutiny.

While specific details of the incident remain debated, the lack of intervention highlighted the Premier Leagueā€™s ā€œRefereeā€™s Callā€ principle, which prioritizes the on-field decision unless a clear error is evident.

4. Everton vs. Leeds United: Tarkowskiā€™s Handball Hands Leeds a Penalty

In the first Monday Night Football of the season, Everton faced Leeds United, where a handball decision against Evertonā€™s James Tarkowski proved to be the decisive decision of the game.

Referee Chris Kavanagh, after a VAR review by John Brooks, awarded Leeds a penalty when Tarkowskiā€™s arm made contact with the ball in a supposed 'unnatural position'.

The penalty call, converted by Leeds, handed them all three points. The incident underscored ongoing tensions around handball interpretations, with critics questioning whether such calls disproportionately penalize defenders.

Everton manager was furious with the decision in his full-time interview, quoting: "I can't see how the people in VAR can see where James [Tarkowski] can put his arm... I didn't see how that was a penalty. Tarky would have had to get his arm chopped off!"

Analysis:

New season, same results. These incidents just reflect the Premier Leagueā€™s ongoing struggle to balance technology with the gameā€™s flow and constant rule-changing.

The Liverpool and Everton handball decisions highlight inconsistencies in applying the handball rule, while the Manchester United penalty appeal and Palaceā€™s disallowed goal raise questions about VARā€™s threshold for intervention.

Matchweek 1 of the 2025/26 Premier League season set the tone for another campaign where refereeing and VAR decisions will be under intense scrutiny. While officials like Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver maintain high accuracy rates (around 95% per KMI reports), controversial calls continue to shape narratives. As the season progresses, the Premier League and PGMOL will face pressure to refine VAR protocols to ensure consistency and fairness, keeping fans, players, and managers engaged in the debate over footballā€™s most polarizing technology.

Published by
Alfie Waller
Alfie Waller
Football journalist with vast experience covering news, transfer exclusives and opinionated pieces within the football media sector over 8 years. Passionate football fan with expertise on the Premier League and EFL.
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