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

After losing to a contentious late penalty at Manchester United on Saturday, Burnley manager Scott Parker claims video assistant referee decisions threaten to turn football into “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. The referee didn’t commit foul on the field.

Then, we’ve refrained from doing it. It’s a fella 200 or so miles away in a box, not the ref.

Lyle Foster, 24, described the decision as “unfair” and claimed that Clarets striker had a goal that had been ruled out for a minor offside earlier in the second half.

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 turned from a hero to a villain when he brought down Amad despite it appearing to have earned Burnley a point and increased the pressure on Amorim.

VAR Stuart Attwell requested a review of Barrott’s decision after he initially waved away United’s 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 Final Score, “The shirt pull starts outside the box but continues inside.” More than anything, it’s panic from Anthony.

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 Josh King, 18, broke clear and sent a low finish past Robert Sanchez, the team had an early lead, but VAR Michael Salisbury discovered an earlier foul 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 Muniz was found to have stepped on Chalobah’s foot to try to shield 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.

Joao Pedro’s opener in stoppage time came after eight minutes had passed as the fourth official had predicted, adding to Fulham’s sense of injustice.

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

They called it a challenge, but the ball itself was a bit of a challenge.

“I don’t understand how you can sit through a game of football and watch it for that long without understanding certain dynamics. Simply put, it was a strange 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.

Silva told Match of the Day, “Everyone is shocked by what happened this afternoon.” Nobody can deny that Rodrigo committed an obvious foul.

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, which gave Reds striker Hugo Ekitike a clear run at goal in the opening game of Liverpool’s victory over Bournemouth.

The distance from goal and Senesi’s actions were later described as “deemed not to be a clear handball offence nor a denial of a goalscoring opportunity.”

In Crystal Palace’s 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend, Eberechi Eze was denied a superb free-kick goal, which was rejected because Chelsea’s wallkeeper Marc Guehi was only one metre away.

In addition, Leny Yoro had adamantly pushed the Nigerian in the build-up to his opener in last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham and Manchester United, according to Cottagers manager Silva and defender Calvin Bassey.

“Warnock told Final Score,” “People are really fed up with VAR and the forensics of VAR.” Why are you looking for more, we ask ourselves every time there is a goal.

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.”