‘The most sterile game’ – another controversial day for VAR

After conceding a contentious late penalty against Manchester United, Burnley manager Scott Parker claims video assistant referee decisions threaten to make football “the most sterile game there is.”

When Jaidon Anthony was caught grabbing Amad Diallo’s shirt inside the area, Ruben Amorim’s team were given a penalty well into the closing seconds.

Referee Sam Barrott initially stopped play, but Bruno Fernandes held his nerve to win the game 3-2 with the spot-kick after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.

According to Parker, “it’s the way the game has changed,” Parker said of the BBC Match of the Day. “Quarruple checking everything every minute.

“We re-regreffed the foul after the referee didn’t make it on the field.” It’s a fella 200 or so miles away in a box, not the ref.

Lyle Foster, 24, also had a goal for a marginal offside earlier in the second half ruled out, which he described as “unfair.”

Following Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Fulham in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, two highly contentious decisions were made at Old Trafford.

Before Enzo Fernandez scored from the penalty spot after Ryan Sessegnon’s arm was struck by a Trevoh Chalobah cross in the opening minute, referee Rob Jones ruled out Josh King’s 21st-minute goal for a foul in the build-up.

The decision to reject King’s excellent finish was “unbelievable,” a scorned Marco Silva told TNT Sports.

He continued, “I prefer not to say anything because I’d be punished.”

Anthony’s equalizer in the 66th minute appeared to have given Burnley a point and increased the pressure on Amorim, a United boss who was under fire, but the English winger transformed into a villain when he beat Amad.

VAR Stuart Attwell requested a review of Barrott’s decision after he initially refused to accept the hosts’ penalty appeals because the first contact had taken place outside the box.

Fernandes scored from the penalty spot to break the Clarets’ hearts, but it took Barrott four minutes to decide his decision, award the penalty, announce his decision to the crowd, and clear the area of Burnley players.

Former Premier League player Stephen Warnock told BBC Final Score, “The shirt pull starts outside the box and continues inside.” More than anything, “It’s panic from Anthony.”

Steph Houghton, the former England captain, stated on Match of the Day: “I believe it was a penalty.” Amad was fantastic for Man Utd, and trying to grab him when he enters the box is a mistake. However, I get Scott Parker’s annoyance.

The goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was superbly round and slide the ball into the unguarded net moments after Bryan Mbeumo had given Manchester United a 2-1 lead.

Foster was only just offside from Quilindschy Hartman’s pass, according to the semi-automated offside technology, though.

Foster’s arm is regarded as being ahead of Diogo Dalot, the team’s last defender, based on replays, which demonstrates the narrowness of the decision.

We’re probably going to be months or a year from not celebrating goals, Parker said.

When King, 18, broke clear and sent a low finish past Robert Sanchez, the Fulham team had a first-half lead, but VAR Michael Salisbury discovered a previous foul committed by Rodrigo Muniz on Chalobah.

Referee Robert Jones watched the pitchside monitor before declaring to the crowd that Muniz’s careless challenge had left the officials with no other choice after being found to have stepped on Chalobah’s foot in an effort to block the ball from the Chelsea defender.

Many people both inside and outside Stamford Bridge argued that Muniz had never attempted to create a challenge in the first place, insisting that contact had been brief.

Murphy, a former Fulham midfielder, said: “I was really upset because I love football more than Fulham. Similar incidents shouldn’t be prevented by total accidents.

There was no challenge for the ball; it was a bit of skill, they said.

“I don’t understand how you can watch football and watch it for that long without understanding certain dynamics,” I said. Simply put, it was an odd interpretation.

In contrast, Jones’ earlier decision to penalize Sessegnon for handball in the opening period was more understandable, though VAR did spend a lot of time looking into the situation for a potential handball by Joao Pedro in the build-up.

Everybody is shocked by what transpired this afternoon, Silva told Match of the Day.

This season, Burnley and Fulham are not the first teams to violate VAR, and neither will they be the last.

Anfield was perplexed by the officials’ decision to not penalize Marco Senesi for what appeared to be a deliberate handball that prevented Reds striker Hugo Ekitike from scoring a clear run at goal during Liverpool’s opening game victory over Bournemouth.

The distance from goal and Senesi’s actions were later deemed not to be a clear handball offence nor a denial of a goalscoring opportunity by the Premier League.

Because Palace defender Marc Guehi was less than a metre from Chelsea’s wall, Eberechi Eze was denied a superb free-kick goal in Crystal Palace’s 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend.

And in the lead-up to his opener, Leny Yoro was pushed by Silva and defender Calvin Bassey in a 1-1 draw with Fulham and Manchester United, respectively.

“Warnock told Final Score,” “People are really fed up with VAR and the forensics of VAR.” Why are you looking for more when there is a goal that we are looking at?

The game is now playing differently, regardless of how you view it. It’s not enjoyable to watch.

Referees “do not necessarily see the intricacies of the game,” according to Warnock, who has demanded former players join the VAR team.

He continued, “We know the game, we love it, and we want to see it played out the right way and get the right result.”