Former Premier League referees’ chief Keith Hackett never had time for criticism of officials. ‘It’s a little bit like me advising Lionel Messi on how he can improve his performance and where he went wrong,’ Hackett once scoffed. But since Howard Webb took charge of English referees back in 2022, a Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel don set up to do exactly what Hackett could never countenance: review the referees.
Three former players and coaches, a Premier League representative and a member of the officials’ governing body dey convene at the end of each round of fixtures to point out where the referees and VAR don go wrong. This process dey conducted behind a veil of mystique, with no official channel providing an insight into the panel’s findings during the season. BBC Sport, however, don gain a peak behind the curtain and list every single incorrect decision wey dem make during the 2025–26 campaign.
According to the KMI panel, there don be 25 blunders from the VAR, seven more than last season. Crucially, these no include decisions wey the on-pitch referees make wey dem judge as errors but no meet the ‘clear and obvious’ threshold for VAR intervention. The incidents in question dey so egregious that the officials at Stockley Park suppose don spot them.
Working under the sketchy assumption that every penalty wey suppose don be awarded go don convert, the Premier League title race go don play out quite differently for a perfect world. Dem say refereeing errors dey shake out across the course of the season, but that no be the case for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta‘s Premier League champions win four points thanks to VAR errors. Manchester City’s tally, in contrast, no dey affected.
While the Gunners go still theoretically don win the title for an alternate reality of unequivocal refereeing justice, the race go don go down to the final day, with both sides levels on points and City ahead on goal difference. For that scenario, e hard to imagine that Pep Guardiola‘s farewell fixture against Aston Villa go don end for defeat.
Their final tally may no dey affected, but Manchester City no dey entirely spared from the fickle fates of VAR. Phil Foden don deny a clear penalty for a 2–1 defeat to Newcastle United in November which Guardiola go later rant about. The Catalan coach dey right to feel aggrieved on that occasion according to the KMI panel, however, City also benefit from some poor officiating against Everton in May when Bernardo Silva somehow escape giving away a penalty for going WWE on Merlin Röhl.
Manchester United owe two points of their final tally to the favorable refereeing decision wey allow Bryan Mbeumo to handle the ball before Matheus Cunha find the back of the net for a 3–2 win over Nottingham Forest at the end of the season. Arne Slot spend much of the campaign bemoaning Liverpool‘s misfortune when e come to the officials at Stockley Park. ‘If there’s a VAR intervention or if there’s something wey fit be left or right, then the decision dey go against us,’ the Dutch boss moan after Benjamin Šeško’s controversial strike for United dem allow in May. ‘That don be the whole season, every single time the same.’
Intriguingly, the KMI panel no judge Šeško’s goal, wey e prod over the line after the ball seemingly brush his fingertips, to meet the threshold of an error. The explanation be that no conclusive video footage fit find during the game to disallow the goal. For fact, the only incident involving Liverpool wey the arbiters consider to be a mistake come on the opening day of the campaign, when Marcos Senesi no send off for Bournemouth after handling the ball. Liverpool win that contest 4–2 regardless.
The second-most common scoreline for the 2025–26 Premier League season na 1–0 Arsenal win. However, three of those eight exceedingly narrow victories dem aid by a VAR mistake. Viktor Gyökeres’s solitary penalty na the only difference between Arsenal and Everton during a tight contest at Hill Dickinson Stadium in December. However, the Toffees suppose don get a spot kick of their own for William Saliba’s errant swipe at Thierno Barry. Everton manager David Moyes get a lengthy conversation with referee Sam Barrott after the final whistle but no go divulge the words wey dem exchange. ‘I’d like to,’ Moyes shrug, ‘but I’d probably dey fined.’
Fabian Hürzeler hold little back before, during and after Brighton & Hove Albion’s fraught loss to the Gunners on the south coast in March. While much of the focus dey divert towards the German coach bemoaning Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics, e fit get more sympathy arguing for a penalty. Gabriel Martinelli wrongly escape punishment for a needless tug on Mats Wieffer for the box, somehow conspiring to hold onto his opponent’s arm while no even looking at the ball and still emerge unscathed.
E harder to quantify what impact a red card for Kai Havertz go don get for what prove to be Arsenal’s most decisive victory over the season. The ephemeral striker don already nod the nervy hosts into a first-half lead against Burnley on the final Monday of the season before e sink his studs into the calf of Lesley Ugochukwu. The panel deem that Havertz suppose don send off for the 67th minute, wey fit cause all sorts of carnage as Arsenal desperately hold on for the win wey go ultimately seal the title. Given how much the Gunners benefit from the few categorical mistakes VAR make, e no go be surprise if Arteta take the same stance as Hackett when e come to criticizing referees.
