Where Leeds United would have finished last season without VAR compared to Newcastle and others

The Whites were not the only sides affected by the video assistant referee last season.

Since its introduction to the Premier League, few things have courted as much controversy as VAR.

The video replay system, designed to help officials make the correct calls in the most crucial moments, has sparked furious debate over its efficiency and application, with the general consensus being that there is room for improvement.

But regardless of which side of the argument you may stand, there can be no denying its impact on the results of several top flight matches last term.

Whether it be awarding penalties, advising on red cards, or disallowing goals entirely, VAR continues to impact Premier League clashes all across the division.

But just how much did it affect Leeds United and their rivals in 2021/22?

ESPN have been crunching the numbers to find out.

As the outlet explains: “We take only the first VAR overturn in each game, because the calculation considers that any subsequent VAR incident wouldn’t have happened and the whole direction of the game has been altered. (Think of it like a Marvel timeline, or the plot of any time travel movie.)

“The VAR decision is then reverted to the original on-field call - so if a goal is disallowed for offside, it’s given as a goal.

“If a penalty has been cancelled, it is considered to have been awarded and scored, unless the team in question has a penalty-conversion record of 50% or below over the season. For instance, Burnley and Watford missed half the spot kicks they were awarded, with Brighton on 57.1% and Man United on 60%. If 50% or below, a penalty may be judged to have been missed.

“If a team has been awarded a goal through a penalty or an incorrect offside through VAR, the goal is disallowed.”

ESPN then factored in a number of other considerations before arriving at their final predicted outcome. These were:

  • Team form
  • Time of incident
  • xG at time of incident
  • Team strength
  • Impact of incident

Check out the full table, as well as Leeds United’s new final position, below...

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