Image Credits: Imago Images
Matchweek 28 of the 2025/26 Premier League season delivered standout individual performances. Arsenal moved five points clear of second-placed Manchester City after Sunday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Man City had briefly closed the gap to two points with a 1-0 victory against Leeds United on Saturday, but the Gunners restored their lead, despite having played one more match than their title rivals.
VAR controversies also dominated the weekend. Arne Slot highlighted inconsistencies, comparing Manchester City defender Marc Guehi’s pullback on Mohamed Salah, which went unpunished, to Maxence Lacroix’s similar challenge on Matheus Cunha that resulted in a red card and a penalty for Manchester United.
Slot argued that one of the two decisions was clearly a mistake. When asked about the incidents, he said: “Very comparable. The only difference is Mo was pulled by the shirt and there was hand on the shoulder [from Lacroix].
“If I look at it, I see a similar distance. Maybe even the distance between Guehi and [Ruben] Dias was a bigger distance than between both centre-backs of Palace.
“The moment I saw it, knowing what has happened with us in that situation, VAR is probably checking if it’s even a penalty of if it’s inside or outside the box, but he will never give a red card for it.”
“For me, either one of the two is a mistake, so when you come in at the end of the season, you have to say ‘OK, we made more than only one or two mistakes’.”
According to Sky Sports, the Premier League is expected to opt out of a new VAR law that would allow officials to review whether a corner should be awarded.
The rule, ratified by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at its AGM on Saturday, will be trialled for the first time by FIFA at this summer’s World Cup. However, it remains optional for individual competitions and has not yet been written into the official protocols.
Premier League officials are keen to avoid “VAR creep,” where minor incidents are repeatedly reviewed. They want to limit interruptions and keep VAR focused on game-changing moments such as goals, penalties, and red cards.
While the expanded VAR scope for second yellow cards leading to a red is now mandatory, the review of corners will be left to each competition’s discretion.
No decision has been made yet in Scotland, with the Scottish FA reviewing IFAB’s directives before deciding if corners in the Scottish Premiership will fall under VAR next season.
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