WORLD SPORT

Premier League Referees: The Best Globally According to International Experts – However, Four Season Mistakes Exposed

PRESIDENTS of the PREMIER LEAGUE firmly believe they possess “the finest referees worldwide” — and maintain that other nations SHARE this view.

Amid discussions in Spain about potential strikes due to mistreatment from fans and clubs, the Premier League’s chief football officer asserted that the standard of top-tier officials has never been higher.

Referee Michael Oliver during a Premier League soccer match.

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Officials believe Premier League referees are the best in the world despite notable mistakesCredit: Rex
Referee Michael Oliver surrounded by Arsenal players.

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Michael Oliver’s red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly was later overturnedCredit: PA

Tony Scholes stated: “One of our primary goals is to have the top match officials globally — and we do.

“We have ten officials on the FIFA list, with two of them — Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor — ranking among the top ten in the world per FIFA.

“Leagues from all over the globe regard our officials and VAR implementation as a model they aspire to emulate.

“That’s the feedback we receive internationally.”

However, both Oliver and Taylor have faced significant controversies this season.

Oliver issued a red card to Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly for ‘serious foul play’ during a match against Wolves last month, but the player’s three-match suspension was rescinded upon appeal.

Additionally, he served as the VAR who advised referee David Coote to reassess an injury-time situation that arose when West Ham played Manchester United. This ultimately culminated in the late penalty being awarded — a decision that contributed to Erik ten Hag’s dismissal in October.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s decision to award a penalty to Brighton against Arsenal last month for an incident involving William Saliba’s ‘header’ of Joao Pedro incited outrage from the Gunners’ camp.

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Despite the uproar, that West Ham penalty kick represents just one of FOUR errors made after VAR intervention this season — as noted by the Premier League’s key match incident panel, comprising former players, managers, and referees.

The panel also pointed out an additional nine situations where VAR intervention was warranted.

Premier League clash descends into farce as VAR counts number of players

Those four VAR errors . . .

BOURNEMOUTH 1 NEWCASTLE 1

Dango Ouattara’s late ‘winner’ was incorrectly disallowed for handball after being validated on the pitch.

WEST HAM 2 MAN UTD 1

The Hammers’ stoppage-time penalty winner resulted from Michael Oliver prompting David Coote to re-examine Matthijs de Ligt’s contact with Danny Ings.

EVERTON 0 BRENTFORD 0

Christian Norgaard should not have received a red card for his tackle on keeper Jordan Pickford.

NOTTM FOREST 3 SOUTHAMPTON 2

Nikola Milenkovic’s goal was ruled out for a subjective offside against Chris Wood, but VAR should have remained uninvolved.

This statistic represents a significant decrease from the 20 mistakes noted at the same point last season and 25 in the corresponding period of 2022-23.

Scholes remarked: “No one underestimates the enormous impact of any single mistake.

“They can cost teams points, lead to managerial changes, affect players’ standings, and have a profound effect on a highly competitive game.

“While there were four incorrect interventions, that indicates 66 correct ones and a reduction in total errors.”

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