Arsenal dodged a bullet when they locked horns with West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon, restoring a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
13:00, 11 May 2026
The LED board displays the VAR decision that disallowed the goal scored by Callum Wilson of West Ham United, after Pablo of West Ham United fouled David Raya of Arsenal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at London Stadium on May 10, 2026 in London, England
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West Ham had a late equaliser against Arsenal overturned on Sunday afternoon(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Following Arsenal's controversial win over West Ham, a supercomputer has recalculated the Premier League title race and predicted what the table would look like at the end of the season if the Video Assistant Referee technology were not in operation this season.
The Gunners clambered to victory at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon, claiming three huge points in the race for the title. Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table to five points, piling the pressure on Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side, who have a game in hand, will have the chance to reduce the gap to just two points when they face Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night. Had Chris Kavanagh not chalked off the Hammers' late equaliser in east London at the weekend, Manchester City would have had the chance to reclaim first place.
But Pablo, while grappled by Leandro Trossard, was adjudged to have fouled David Raya in the build-up to the goal. In the moments leading up to the incident, Kai Havertz had dragged Tomas Soucek to the ground.
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After six minutes of reviewing the incident from various angles, the match officials finally decided that a clear and obvious foul had been committed by the West Ham striker. Arsenal managed to hold onto their lead in the remaining minutes of added time, putting one hand on the trophy.
So, with that being said, football.london has taken a look at the supercomputer, powered by AceOdds, that has recalculated the title race and predicted what the table would look like at the end of the season without the intervention of VAR.
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What would the Premier League table look like with no VAR?
According to the supercomputer, without the intervention of VAR, Arsenal would still be top of the Premier League. However, Manchester City would only be a point behind the Gunners, rather than five.
Meanwhile, Brighton and Bournemouth would replace Liverpool and Aston Villa in the Champions League places. The research found that Chelsea have benefitted from more favourable VAR-influenced decision overturns than any other team in the English top-flight (nine), meaning they'd slip to 10th.
It was also revealed that Tottenham Hotspur would be four points clear of the relegation zone and two places higher in the table. Instead, West Ham would be up against Nottingham Forest in the fight for survival.
The Premier League table if decisions by the Video Assisted Referee didn't count
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The Premier League table if decisions by the Video Assisted Referee didn't count
What team would win the Premier League with no VAR?
Based on the number of decisions overturned by VAR, as reported by the Premier League Match Centre, the supercomputer predicted what the table would look like at the end of the season if the impact of such matchday technology was removed.
It was determined that Arsenal would be the second biggest beneficiaries of point swings this season, yet they'd still finish second. The supercomputer also predicted Chelsea to finish ninth, and subsequently miss out on qualification to either of UEFA's three club competitions, and Spurs to avoid relegation by quite some distance.
An updated Premier League table based on AceOdds projections for the rest of the season if VAR's impact was removed
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An updated Premier League table based on AceOdds projections for the rest of the season if VAR's impact was removed
VAR winners and losers
Ultimately, according to AceOdds, Chelsea have benefited from more VAR-influenced decisions than any other team in the English top-flight. Crystal Palace, Fulham, Manchester United, and Newcastle have also had the rub of the green; meanwhile, Everton have had some rotten luck.
The number of beneficial decisions received by overturned VAR calls in the Premier League this season
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The number of beneficial decisions received by overturned VAR calls in the Premier League this season
The number of disadvantageous overturned decisions by VAR in the Premier League this season
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The number of disadvantageous overturned decisions by VAR in the Premier League this season
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For all the fortune that Fulham have had with VAR-influenced decisions, they've also been the hardest-done by team in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, only three teams have had fewer VAR-influenced overturned decisions against them than Arsenal (three).
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