Referees' Performances | 2025/26

[Bozzie]

They say it evens itself out over a season … fuck me, Arsenal’s last two games are going to be something to watch!!

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

I don’t trust the cnuts,they’d edit the audio,we should be hearing the conversation between ref and VAR when they are looking at something and that includes if asked to go to the screen,they do it in rugby so why can’t it be done in football..

You know the answer to that

 

[TinFoilHat]

Jeff Stelling is in his no fuck given era. He's semi retired and accused Chris Foy and PGMOL colluding over protecting themselves over the VAR decision with their own propaganda rather than admitting they fucked up.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Right, but the person I was quoting said that if City don't win the league it'll be because we've been poor too many times but that West Ham would be sent down by the Raya/VAR decision. Teams finish where they finish for multiple reasons, yes, and chief among those who finish below their desired target is always that they weren't good enough.

It’s more the impact of the VAR decision I was mentioning here. Everyone seems to be concentrating on the benefit to Arsenal and not on how it impedes West Ham.

I agree they’ve been poor but the game needs to decide if it wants to be a physical game or not so everyone knows what is allowed. Nobody seems to know.

 

[waspish]

That photo of raya shirt getting pulled was that shown within the first 1/2mins? If it didn’t that footage was fast tracked from sky! And why it took so long! If that is the case that’s is manipulation of every game that var has been used and quickly moved on, only to show later a photo of it showing it should of been a pen a foul or none foul!

Bottom line next season var has to clean up everything! As in incidents are dealt with exactly the same way no bias! Yea all referees referee differently!

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

Hahahaha Luck ? Matey its nothing to do with luck, it's clear cheating and a controlled advantage given to Arsenal

I'm honestly amazed at the numbers who think it's luck when it is nothing but cheating.

 

[Ho Chi Man City]

I don't think it's a conspiracy either, some of the comments you see on here are absurd, but I do think there is some sort of bias in some quarters.

I think it's the opposite, refs are making decisions (like the West Ham goal yesterday) then VAR are looking for reasons to overrule him. There was no one clear and obvious foul yesterday (as Carragher said in the post match there were probably about 10 fouls in there), it's the same in every match at every corner so they give the goal. Then for whatever reason VAR very clearly went looking for a reason not to give it. 37 times it was replayed by them apparently, then another 17 times for the refs review. But ONLY the Raya incident was reviewed. If you have to review anything that many times then it's not a clear and obvious error.

Your last sentence is the only metric here, it has to be blatantly obvious a mistake has been made, due to the number of times they had to look at it they should not overrule the on field decision.

 

[Manc Born & Bred]

"You have to go in chronological order" says Dermot and I agree with him. Only problem is that Dermot starts with the foul on Raya and totally ignores the fouls before and contradicts what he says. And that's the issue. Start with the foul by Trossard and then the two by Rice Rice, then look at the foul on Raya / the subtle shirt pull by Gabriel at the same time as Trossard is fouling the player. It's a complete mess and the fact that VAR took four minutes to recommend a review is an issue in itself.

 

[give it to gordon]

"You have to go in chronological order" says Dermot and I agree with him. Only problem is that Dermot starts with the foul on Raya and totally ignores the fouls before and contradicts what he says. And that's the issue. Start with the foul by Trossard and then the two by Rice Rice, then look at the foul on Raya / the subtle shirt pull by Gabriel at the same time as Trossard is fouling the player. It's a complete mess and the fact that VAR took four minutes to recommend a review is an issue in itself.

Never a foul in a million years

 

[hampshireblue]

"You have to go in chronological order" says Dermot and I agree with him. Only problem is that Dermot starts with the foul on Raya and totally ignores the fouls before and contradicts what he says. And that's the issue. Start with the foul by Trossard and then the two by Rice Rice, then look at the foul on Raya / the subtle shirt pull by Gabriel at the same time as Trossard is fouling the player. It's a complete mess and the fact that VAR took four minutes to recommend a review is an issue in itself.

The actions of Trossard are the key part of this. He fouls and actually backs Pablo right into Reya. Without that action the outcome would have been very different. In chronological order, this was the first offence.

 

[traditionalleesy]

Var should be operated like super league does when a try is scored but the ref is not sure, they go upstairs to one ref who goes back to the start of the move, could be a kick through or from a play the ball, if a foul or obstruction happens in the move up to the try, the try is disallowed, end of.

 

[Victorinodennistua]

That photo of raya shirt getting pulled was that shown within the first 1/2mins? If it didn’t that footage was fast tracked from sky! And why it took so long! If that is the case that’s is manipulation of every game that var has been used and quickly moved on, only to show later a photo of it showing it should of been a pen a foul or none foul!

Bottom line next season var has to clean up everything! As in incidents are dealt with exactly the same way no bias! Yea all referees referee differently!

Just wondering nowadays if the VAR team can manipulate a camera still whilst applying AI technology. And takes 4 mins to get an arm pull picture. Just sayin ?

 

[Blueboy73]

They’ll tell you they were just being careful, given the gravity of the decision…

Shame they haven't been as careful over the last couple of seasons when deciding that the numerous "goals scored" by the Tarquins from similar positions should stand.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

To think that some thought the introduction of VAR would be the end of talking about controversial decisions!!!!

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Just wondering nowadays if the VAR team can manipulate a camera still whilst applying AI technology. And takes 4 mins to get an arm pull picture. Just sayin ?

You've all gone off the fucking deep end.

 

[joenorth]

A few years ago at stoke away they gave 2 soft penalty's, one for stoke and one for city for defenders holding or grappling forwards,they stopped doing this ,and this is where we are now,give a pen and a booking and they will soon stop it.

 

[Victorinodennistua]

You've all gone off the fucking deep end.

It was supposed to be sarcasm sorry.

 

[jaiguruKun]

How do they sort the mess out over set pieces which is affecting every game and the inordinate amount of time it takes for games to restart after a free kick is given?

 

[cheekybids]

I don't think it's a conspiracy either, some of the comments you see on here are absurd, but I do think there is some sort of bias in some quarters.

I think it's the opposite, refs are making decisions (like the West Ham goal yesterday) then VAR are looking for reasons to overrule him. There was no one clear and obvious foul yesterday (as Carragher said in the post match there were probably about 10 fouls in there), it's the same in every match at every corner so they give the goal. Then for whatever reason VAR very clearly went looking for a reason not to give it. 37 times it was replayed by them apparently, then another 17 times for the refs review. But ONLY the Raya incident was reviewed. If you have to review anything that many times then it's not a clear and obvious error.

So how do you explain their motivation to find a reason to disallow the goal? Conspiracy to get a team that has won it over the line or bias to look after Arsenal…. I’m struggling to understand the difference but all season the refs, backed by the media have been blind to their antics whilst finding any reason to interrogate actions against.

When City were pulled up for a foul on Raya a corner, there was nothing, it was pure gaslighting so I ask why?

 

[Pingu the Penguin]

You've all gone off the fucking deep end.

You say that but we did get a var graphic showing Dias floating in mid air when that was impossible