Despite an apparent wave of VAR controversies in recent months, the PGMOL have insisted that there has been a marked improvement in correct decision being made since the World Cup.
Brighton have been left particularly aggrieved with VAR's use, with Arsenal and Chelsea also being denied game-changing decisions. Referee chief Howard Webb was even forced to hold an emergency meeting with Premier League clubs in February amid rising anger.
But the PGMOL are now hitting back at claims that VAR is not working by publishing a report analysing its use so far this season. That analysis suggests that VAR has actually improved as the campaign has gone.
According to the study, there were just four incorrect interventions between rounds 17 and 30. The report was created by an independent key match incidents panel, made up of three former players or coaches as well as representatives from the Premier League and PGMOL.
The panel sits every week and have found that since the World Cup there has been one incorrect intervention every 37.5 games. That compares to an incorrect intervention once every 24.3 matches, or six in total.
In what may be a surprise to some, missed interventions have fallen from 12 to seven while VAR errors for on-field offences have fallen from 18 to 12 since the winter tournament. The fall in incorrect interventions work out as a drop of 33.3 per cent.
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Despite the improvement, referee boss Webb is set to overhaul the VAR system over the summer. A new VAR manager will be appointed, while Adam Gale-Watts has been brought in as technical director.
The report will likely come as a surprise to many supporters and even clubs, given there has been at least six controversial cases over recent months.
Those incidents came when Brighton had a goal ruled out against Crystal Palace and later denied a penalty against Tottenham, when Arsenal conceded a goal that was wrongly not disallowed for offside against Crystal Palace, when Chelsea were denied a penalty for handball against West Ham, when Nottingham Forest were denied a penalty for handball against Manchester United and finally when Liverpool's opening goal against Leeds was allowed to stand.
Brighton have twice received a personal apology from Webb, with the referee chief also admitting VAR made a mistake in the incident involving Arsenal. Forest boss Steve Cooper was left furious by VAR's lack of intervention when the ball clearly appeared to strike United captain Maguire's hand.
He said: “For VAR not to give it, they apologised last week and are going to have to apologise again, which means absolutely nothing. I don’t think it’s your headline why we lost the game, but I don’t think these errors should be happening."
While this latest report will likely be treated with skepticism, Webb will be praying his changes in the summer will help to continue the improvement in VAR, which has been plagued by controversy since it was first implemented.
