How the 2023/24 Premier League Table Would Have Finished Without VAR

• Manchester United and Arsenal were among the teams that gained from VAR decisions this season
• Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest were the teams that were negatively affected by the technology
• Villa, who finished fourth, lost seven points in the process, with Nottingham denied four points by VAR

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is one of the biggest technological advancements in the game of football.

The idea of VAR was first conceived in 2010 in the Netherlands before gaining prominence in the subsequent years.

Per the BBC, it first debuted in the Premier League during the 2019/20 season.

At the time, clubs voted unanimously to have it implemented after a successful test period.

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Despite its initial promises, the use of the technology has become contentious over the years, leaving fans, pundits, and experts divided.

Its unpopularity hit new heights recently when Nottingham Forest publicly called it out in an inflammatory social media post over bias.

These developments have seen Premier League clubs invited to vote on scrapping VAR.

While this remains a subject for discussion, VAR still played a key part in determining the outcome of the 2023/24 season.

The campaign officially closed on Sunday, May 19, with Manchester City retaining the crown after they finished top with 91 points.

Arsenal were compelled to settle for a second-place finish with 89 points, seven points ahead of Liverpool.

Aston Villa completed the top four podium with 68 points, two ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who will now have to contend with playing in the Europa League.

Chelsea, Newcastle, and Manchester United finished sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.

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How the EPL table would look without VAR

But how would the 2023/24 Premier League table look if VAR was not in use?

According to GiveMeSport, Arsenal, Man United, and Liverpool were some of the biggest beneficiaries of the technology.

The three clubs would have finished with fewer points compared to their current tally, with Man City and Aston Villa all gaining.

Interestingly, there would have been no change to the current top-eight standings.

This essentially means that City would have still won the title, albeit with 94 points, three more than their current 91.

The Gunners would have still finished second, but a massive eight points behind the Citizens.

Liverpool and Villa would have still secured Champions League football, with Tottenham, finishing fifth with 66 points (no difference in points with/without VAR).

However, there would have been significant changes on the tail end of the table.

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Fulham, for instance, would have finished ninth with 52 points instead of their current 13th-place finish with 47 points.

Wolves would be down in 16th with 40 points compared to their 14th-place finish with 46 points.

Interestingly, Burnley, Luton Town, and Sheffield United would still have been relegated with or without VAR.

Below is how the EPL table would look if VAR was not in use:

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Man City stars set for huge bonuses

In other news, Sports Brief also reported that Manchester City stars will be smiling all the way to the bank after retaining the Premier League title.

Kavin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are among the players lined up for huge bonuses.