Michael Owen Criticizes VAR for Overturning Everton’s Penalty Against Manchester United
Former Manchester United striker, Michael Owen, has expressed his frustration over VAR’s controversial role in Everton’s 2-2 draw with the Red Devils on Saturday, claiming that the technology “let the referee down.”
Everton took a commanding 2-0 lead in the first half, thanks to goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure. However, Manchester United mounted a comeback, with Bruno Fernandes reducing the deficit before Manuel Ugarte scored a late equalizer.
The biggest talking point of the match came in the closing moments when Ashley Young appeared to be pulled down inside the penalty box by both Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire. Referee Andy Madley immediately awarded a penalty, but VAR official Matt Donohue instructed him to review the decision using the pitch-side monitor.
After reviewing the footage, Madley overturned the penalty, much to the frustration of Everton players, fans, and analysts alike.
Michael Owen’s Criticism of VAR
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Owen questioned the angles provided to the referee during the review, arguing that they failed to give a full picture of the incident.
“They’ve not looked at the right angle, in my opinion,” Owen stated.
“If the referee has only been shown that one angle, then I don’t blame him for overturning it. But he needs to be given the view from behind the goal, zoomed in.”
He further insisted that VAR failed the referee by not providing the best possible perspective:
“From the angle the referee was given, it looks like a dive. I agree with him not giving it based on that footage. But if he had seen the correct angle, he might have stuck with his original decision.”
Opinion: Is VAR Doing More Harm Than Good?
This latest controversy only fuels the ongoing debate about VAR’s effectiveness in the Premier League. While it was introduced to minimize errors, it has repeatedly been at the center of high-profile mistakes, leading to inconsistent refereeing decisions.
In this case, if different camera angles could have provided clearer evidence, why weren’t they used? This raises concerns about whether VAR officials are applying the system correctly or simply making things more complicated.
Football fans are growing increasingly frustrated with how subjective decisions are still influencing key moments, despite the presence of technology. Everton supporters will surely feel robbed of a chance to win the match, while Manchester United will be relieved at the outcome.
As long as these controversies persist, the integrity of VAR will remain a hot topic, and calls for reform will only grow louder.
