The shocking truth behind how the Premier League table would look without VAR
Arsenal would still be top of the Premier League if VAR hadn't intervened in games this season, a new study has revealed.
VAR has taken football by storm in recent years, with the initiative designed to make games fairer and aid refereeing decisions - or limit errors - splitting opinion in the sport's fanbase.
There have been 84 interventions from the video assistant referee in the Premier League this season that have seen goals ruled out, penalties awarded and players sent off.
ESPN took the first overturn in each match analysed and considered a number of factors to calculate how results would have differed throughout the season, thus impacting the overall league table.
Factors analysed include a team's form at the time of the game, the timing of the incident, the xG at the time of the incident, the strength of the team and the impact of the incident.
The results are quite striking, with several teams' seasons looking very different in a theoretical league table.
Arsenal would still be top of the tree, but would be six points ahead of Manchester City rather than their current eight. They would, though, have one more point on the board.
Tottenham could still have Antonio Conte in charge and would be third in the league, leapfrogging Manchester United, who would have on eye on Brighton in fifth, with Newcastle in sixth.
Liverpool would be down in ninth and 13 places off a top four spot, equal on 36 points with Chelsea in 10th.
The famous nine-team scrap for survival would have six points in it rather than the current five, though Crystal Palace, who are 12th at the minute, would find themselves down in 19th and in serious threat of relegation.
They'd be joined by Southampton and Bournemouth in the bottom three, with West Ham, who currently occupy 18th in the league table, up in 13th, though just four points clear of the relegation spots.
Perhaps fewer will speak so negatively of VAR depending on how the table looks when the season comes to a close on May 28.
Henry
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