How the Premier League table would look right now if VAR wasn't being used

It’s fair to say VAR has had quite an impact on the Premier League this season.

There’s not a weekend that goes by without VAR becoming a major talking point.

Who said that its introduction would eradicate the argument surrounding refereeing decisions?

If anything, it’s exacerbated things.

It hasn’t helped that the Premier League are operating with such a high threshold, with the VAR extremely reluctant to overturn a referee’s decision.

But how has VAR affected the Premier League table?

So far this season, 19 goals have been directly affected by VAR (four goals awarded and 15 goals overturned).

So, GIVEMESPORT have decided to painstakingly work out how the table would look if we didn’t have VAR.

Now, to do this, we needed to do some speculating. Goals change games so, if a goal was awarded by VAR - or disallowed - there is some guesswork involved to try and determine the final result.

Don’t worry, we’ve explained how we’ve come to the conclusion with each decision.

The study only touches on OVERTURNED decisions by VAR. After all, penalty appeals that stay with the on-field referee aren’t included in the discussion because without VAR, the decision would stand.

So, without further ado, here’s how the new Premier League table would look without VAR:

1st | Liverpool | Points: 25 | Points difference: 0

Game: Chelsea (A) September 22

Incident: Chelsea's goal was ruled out by VAR after Mason Mount was offside in the build-up to Cesar Azpilicueta’s equaliser in the 27th-minute.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): Liverpool had just taken the lead and Azpilicueta looked to have made it 1-1. It was rightly disallowed but Liverpool soon went up the other end and made it 2-0. Chelsea dominated the second-half before narrowly losing 2-1. If Azpilicueta’s goal had stood, we think Chelsea would have earned a point.

Game: Manchester United (A) October 20

Incident: Sadio Mane’s 43rd-minute equaliser ruled out for handball.

Outcome without VAR (LIVERPOOL WIN): Martin Atkinson didn’t spot Mane’s handball and VAR worked well to disallow it. But if Liverpool had entered the break level at half-time, we back them to go on to win the match.

2nd | Man City | Points: 21 | Points difference: +2

Game: West Ham (A) August 11

Incident 1: Raheem Sterling ruled offside by VAR in the build-up to Gabriel Jesus’ 53rd-minute goal.

Incident 2: Sergio Aguero’s missed penalty retaken due to encroachment by Declan Rice.

Outcome without VAR (MAN CITY WIN): City were 2-0 up and 3-0 up respectively already and went on to win 5-0. The VAR decision didn’t affect the overall outcome.

Game: Tottenham (H) August 17

Incident: Gabriel Jesus’ injury-time winner ruled out due to Aymeric Laporte’s handball in the build-up.

Outcome without VAR (MAN CITY WIN): City’s late winner would have been allowed to stand.

3rd | Chelsea | Points: 18 | Points difference: +1

Game: Norwich (A) August 24

Incident: Kurt Zouma’s 77th-minute goal disallowed by VAR for Olivier Giroud’s foul on the goalkeeper.

Outcome without VAR (CHELSEA WIN): Chelsea would have gone 4-2 ahead with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.

Game: Liverpool (H) September 22

Incident: Chelsea's goal ruled out by VAR after Mason Mount was offside in the build-up to Cesar Azpilicueta’s equaliser in the 27th-minute.

4th | West Ham | Points: 15 | Points difference: +3

Game: Manchester City (H) August 11

Incident 1: Raheem Sterling ruled offside by VAR in the build-up to Gabriel Jesus’ 53rd-minute goal

Incident 2: Sergio Aguero’s missed penalty retaken due to encroachment by Declan Rice.

Outcome without VAR (MAN CITY WIN): City were 2-0 up and 3-0 up respectively already and went on to win 5-0. The VAR decision didn’t affect the overall outcome.

Game: Brighton (A) August 17

Incident: Leandro Trossard’s 27th-minute goal ruled out for offside against Dan Burn.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): That goal would have put Brighton 1-0 up in the first-half. West Ham eventually went 1-0 up in the second-half but Trossard scored a legitimate goal to make it 1-1. We think it still would have been a draw if Trossard’s opener had stood.

Game: Bournemouth (A) September 28

Incident: Josh King’s 17th-minute goal was originally ruled offside but the assistant referee but it was cleared by VAR.

Outcome without VAR (WEST HAM WIN): Bournemouth wouldn’t have equalised without the aid of VAR meaning West Ham would have maintained their 10th-minute lead. Considering they edged the 90 minutes, we back them to have gone on to win the match.

Game: Crystal Palace (H) October 5

Incident: Jordan Ayew’s 87th-minute winner was originally ruled out by the assistant referee. VAR intervened and awarded the goal.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): With just minutes remaining, we can only assume the two sides would have played out a 1-1 draw if Ayew’s goal didn’t count.

5th | Wolves | Points: 15 | Points difference: +4

Game: Leicester (A) August 11

Incident: Leander Dendoncker’s 51st-minute goal was disallowed after VAR spotted a handball by Willy Boly.

Outcome without VAR (WOLVES WIN): The match finished 0-0 and we think Dendoncker’s goal would have seen Wolves go on to win the match.

Game: Southampton (H) October 19

Incident: Raul Jimenez’s goal ruled out for offside against Patrick Cutrone in the 42nd-minute.

Outcome without VAR (WOLVES WIN): We think Wolves taking a first-half lead would have seen them go on to beat Southampton. It eventually ended 1-1.

6th | Arsenal | Points: 14 | Points difference: -1

Game: Manchester United (A) September 30

Incident: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 58th-minute equaliser was somehow flagged offside by the assistant referee before it was overturned by VAR.

Outcome without VAR (Man Utd WIN): Arsenal were poor at Old Trafford and, without the help of VAR, we think United would have held on for all three points.

7th | Sheffield United | Points: 13 | Points difference: +1

Game: Southampton (H) September 14

Incident: Oliver McBurnie’s 52nd-minute opener was disallowed by VAR for offside.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): Sheffield United would have taken the lead against Southampton but the Saints actually won the match thanks to Moussa Djenepo’s winner. So a draw is fair.

8th | Burnley | Points: 13 | Points difference: +1

Game: Aston Villa (A) September 28

Incident: John McGinn’s 25th-minute goal was ruled out by VAR due to Conor Hourihane’s offside in the build-up.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): Villa went 1-0 up just minutes afterwards anyway with the match eventually ending 2-2. Scoring the opener a few minutes before wouldn’t have made any difference.

Game: Leicester (A) October 21

Incident: Jonny Evans’ 80th-minute own goal was ruled out by VAR after a foul by Chris Wood.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): With just 10 minutes remaining, Evans’ own goal would have made it 2-2.

9th | Leicester | Points: 12 | Points difference: -5

Game: Wolves (H) August 11

Incident: Leander Dendoncker’s 51st-minute goal was disallowed after VAR spotted a handball by Willy Boly.

Outcome without VAR (WOLVES WIN): The match finished 0-0 and we think Dendoncker’s goal would have seen Wolves go on to win the match.

Game: Tottenham (H) September 21

Incident 1: Leicester’s goal was disallowed in the 16th-minute for an offside against Ayoze Perez.

Incident 2: Spurs’ goal was disallowed in the 64th-minute for Son Heung-Min’s offside in the build-up to Serge Aurier’s goal.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): This one is hard to speculate. Leicester would have taken the lead in the 16th-minute but Aurier’s goal - in theory - would have put them 2-1 up. Leicester did win the match in real life thanks to James Maddison’s winner. So we reckon it would have been a draw without VAR.

Game: Burnley (H) October 21

Incident: Jonny Evans’ 80th-minute own goal was ruled out by VAR after a foul by Chris Wood.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): With just 10 minutes remaining, Evans’ own goal would have made it 2-2.

10th | Tottenham | Points: 12 | Points difference: 0

Game: Manchester City (A) August 17

Incident: Gabriel Jesus’ injury-time winner ruled out due to Aymeric Laporte’s handball in the build-up.

Outcome without VAR (MAN CITY WIN): City’s late winner would have been allowed to stand.

Game: Leicester (A) September 21

Incident 1: Leicester’s goal disallowed in the 16th-minute for an offside against Ayoze Perez.

Incident 2: Spurs’ goal disallowed in the 64th-minute for Son Heung-Min’s offside in the build-up to Serge Aurier’s goal.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): This one is hard to speculate. Leicester would have taken the lead in the 16th-minute but Aurier’s goal - in theory - would have put them 2-1 up. Leicester did win the match in real life thanks to James Maddison’s goal. So we reckon it would have been a draw without VAR.

11th | Crystal Palace | Points: 12 | Points difference: -2

Game: West Ham (A) October 5

Incident: Jordan Ayew’s 87th-minute winner was originally ruled out by the assistant referee. VAR intervened and awarded the goal.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): With just minutes remaining, we can only assume the two sides would have played out a 1-1 draw if Ayew’s goal didn’t count.

12th | Aston Villa | Points: 11 | Points difference: 0

Game: Burnley (H) September 28

Incident: John McGinn’s 25th-minute goal was ruled out by VAR due to Conor Hourihane’s offside in the build-up.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): Villa went 1-0 up just minutes afterwards anyway with the match eventually ending 2-2. Scoring the opener a few minutes before wouldn’t have made any difference.

Game: Brighton (H) October 19

Incident: Conor Hourihane’s goal was ruled out for a foul by Wesley on Mat Ryan in the 42nd-minute.

Outcome without VAR (ASTON VILLA WIN): Villa took the lead just minutes after and still won the match 2-1 anyway.

13th | Bournemouth | Points: 11 | Points difference: -1

Game: Southampton (A) September 20

Incident: Josh King’s 25th-minute goal ruled out for offside.

Outcome without VAR (BOURNEMOUTH WIN): Bournemouth were already 1-0 up and went on to win 3-1 anyway.

Game: West Ham (H) September 28

Incident: Josh King’s 17th-minute goal was originally ruled offside but the assistant referee but it was cleared by VAR,

Outcome without VAR (WEST HAM WIN): Bournemouth wouldn’t have taken a 17th-minute lead without the aid of VAR meaning West Ham would have maintained their 10th-minute lead. Considering they just edged the 90 minutes, we back them to have gone on to win the match.

14th | Manchester United | Points: 10 | Points difference: 0

Game: Arsenal (H) September 30

Incident: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 58th-minute equaliser was somehow flagged offside by the assistant referee before it was overturned by VAR.

Outcome without VAR (Man Utd WIN): Arsenal were poor at Old Trafford and, without the help of VAR, we think United would would have held on for all three points.

Game: Liverpool (H) October 20

Incident: Sadio Mane’s 43rd-minute equaliser ruled out for handball.

15th | Everton | Points: 10 | Points difference: 0

YET TO EXPERIENCE AN OVERTURNED DECISION.

16th | Brighton | Points: 9 | Points difference: 0

Game: West Ham (H) August 17

Incident: Leandro Trossard’s 27th-minute goal ruled out for offside against Dan Burn

Game: Aston Villa (A) October 19

Incident: Conor Hourihane’s goal was ruled out for a foul by Wesley on Mat Ryan in the 42nd-minute.

Outcome without VAR (ASTON VILLA WIN): Villa took the lead just minutes after and still won the match 2-1 anyway.

17th | Newcastle | Points: 8 | Points difference: 0

YET TO EXPERIENCE AN OVERTURNED DECISION.

18th | Norwich | Points: 7 | Points difference: 0

Game: Chelsea (H) August 24

Incident: Kurt Zouma’s 77th-minute goal disallowed by VAR for Olivier Giroud’s foul on the goalkeeper.

Outcome without VAR (CHELSEA WIN): Chelsea would have gone 4-2 ahead with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.

19th Southampton | Points: 5 | Points difference: -3

Game: Sheffield United (A) September 14

Incident: Oliver McBurnie’s 52nd-minute opener was disallowed by VAR for offside.

Outcome without VAR (DRAW): Sheffield United would have taken the lead against Southampton but the Saints actually won the match thanks to Moussa Djenepo’s winner. So a draw is fair.

Game: Bournemouth (H) September 20

Incident: Josh King’s 25th-minute goal ruled out for offside

Outcome without VAR (BOURNEMOUTH WIN): Bournemouth were already 1-0 up and went on to win 3-1 anyway

Game: Wolves (A) October 19

Incident: Raul Jimenez’s goal ruled out for offside against Patrick Cutrone in the 42nd-minute.

Outcome without VAR (WOLVES WIN): We think Wolves taking a first-half lead would have seen them go on to beat Southampton. It eventually ended 1-1.

20th | Watford | Points: 4 | Points difference 0

YET TO EXPERIENCE AN OVERTURNED DECISION.