EPL Releases VAR Audio of How Referees Decided Onana's Non Penalty Versus Wolves

• The Premier League has released VAR explanations of controversial moments so far this season
• Fans can hear how the referees decided against a penalty after Andre Onana's clumsy challenge
• Other incidents include Virgil Van Dijk's red card away at Newcastle and Nathan Ake's goal vs Fulham

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) continues to be a divisive implementation in football, with its usage sparking outrage on a number of occasions.

The 2023/2024 Premier League season is only four games in and at least six controversial moments have been recorded already.

Man United keeper, Andre Onana's non-penalty decision against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nathan Ake's goal against Fulham lead the fray.

The Premier League has now released audio from the incidents, which attempts to explain how the officials arrived at certain decisions.

The segment, led by the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, Howard Webb is known as Match Officials: Mic'd Up.

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Andre Onana's incident vs. Wolves

The audio from Onana's incident makes for amusing listening. In the dying minutes of the clash at Old Trafford, a high ball was swung into the hosts' area.

The Cameroon shot-stopper challenged for the ball and ended up missing it entirely. He instead clattered into Wolves striker, Sasa Kalajdzic.

Kalajdzic and Craig Dawson went up at the same time, but it was the latter who got the ball as Onana slammed into the opposition striker.

How the match officials arrived at their decision

The centre referee, Simon Hooper gave no penalty and the VAR, Michael Salisbury rubberstamped his decision. Here is how that conversation unfolded.

Hooper begins by saying:

"No way! It's like collisions, we don't give those..."

The VAR responds:

"I want to view this because I think Onana collides with him. He's trying to reach the ball but he's late... and he blocks in. So the goalkeeper goes to challenge for the ball and he makes aerial contact with the Wolves player. It's late and clumsy, in my opinion."

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The official then concedes that a very late aerial challenge was made but appears uncertain.

I think because the Wolves player doesn't head the ball... yeah, because Dawson heads it... it's a normal collision, as they've both challenged the ball. Yeah and therefore, it's a normal collision because they've both challenged for the ball."

Here is the full conversation of the incident:

EPL dropped referees of United vs. Wolves

Sports Brief reported that Hooper was dropped from selection for the matches the following weekend alongside VAR officials, Michael Salisbury and Richard West.

Sports Brief also reported that Wolves coach, Gary O'Neill said he received an apology from the referee's body for what was deemed a blatant foul on Onana's part.