English referees body admits VAR error in Brentford’s equaliser against Arsenal

Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for match officials across English football, has acknowledged “significant errors” in the usage of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in two English Premier League (EPL) matches on Saturday. 

In a statement on its Twitter page on Sunday, PGMOL said the two matches were Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brentford, and the fixture between Brighton and Crystal Palace.

Arsenal were stunned at the Emirate stadium after going one nil up through new-signing Leandro Trossard, when Ivan Toney bundled home an equaliser in the 74th minute.

Toney’s goal was the subject of a review but Lee Mason, the official in charge of VAR, failed to spot Brentford’s Christian Norgaard returning from an offside position to assist the goal scorer.

Similarly, Brighton had a goal incorrectly chopped off by the VAR as offside in their draw at Crystal Palace.

PGMOL said it has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton to explain the “human error”.

“PGMOL can confirm its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion to acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process in their respective Premier League fixtures on Saturday,” the statement reads.

“Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL.”

Arsenal would have gone eight points clear at the summit of the EPL table had they finished the game with a win.