VAR is getting worse: Leeds United and Newcastle decisions given incorrectly says Premier League panel

The Premier League's KMI panel has convened to deliberate over contentious VAR and officiating decisions in recent Premier League gameweeks.

It has found that Leeds should have seen a penalty given at Elland Road when Sunderland defender Luke O'Nien illegally impeded Whites defender Pascal Struijk.

The KMI panel has logged 18 VAR errors in the Premier League so far this season, which matches the same number throughout the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign. There are still 81 matches remaining this season.

VAR has made 18 errors in the Premier League this season

Leeds supporters also felt aggrieved at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon as Gabriel Gudmundsson was shown a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time.

Match official Thomas Bramall brandished the yellow in the Swede's direction for a foul in the middle of the park, but appeared to forget he had already booked the Leeds full-back earlier in the game.

Daniel Farke's side held on to salvage a draw from the game, which ended 0-0, but remain in the fight against relegation back to the Championship.

Newcastle United, meanwhile, should not have seen Jacob Ramsey sent off for a second yellow card offence during their recent fixture against Manchester United.

The St. James' Park crowd were left incensed by match official Peter Bankes' decision to send Ramsey off for what he believed to be simulation. Newcastle's summer signing went over inside the penalty area as Manchester United goalkeeper rushed out to smother the ball.

The KMI panel voted 3:2 in Ramsey's favour that the player's "left foot appears to slip as he goes past the keeper" and that it "wasn't an attempt to deceive the referee".

Second yellow cards are not currently reviewed by VAR, but will be from the beginning of next season.

Other recent VAR errors included Brighton and Hove Albion's denial of a penalty against Arsenal earlier this month. Gabriel Martinelli fouled Seagulls midfielder Mats Wieffer inside the area during first half stoppage time. This prompted an irate response from Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler after referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR Michael Salisbury cleared the passage of play.

In December, the Gunners also escaped punishment, per the KMI panel's judgement, when Everton's Thierno Barry was not awarded a penalty at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

William Saliba's foul on the Toffees striker on December 20, 2025, was cleared by VAR official Michael Salisbury in that fixture, too.