VAR's Winners and Losers: The Premier League Table That Could've Been Without the Video Refs

Ever catch yourself muttering about VAR like Kyle Walker did? 'Love it when it helps us, hate it when it doesn't.' Spot on, mate. That cheeky truth sums up the chaos around video assistant referees in the Premier League – a tech that's got fans, players and gaffers split faster than a dodgy dive.

Back in the good old days, we'd shrug off ref howlers with 'it evens out over 38 games.' Not with VAR, though. With the season winding down, some clubs are feasting on favourable calls from Stockley Park, while others are left picking at scraps. Using Walker's golden rule, let's rewind the tape and see what the table looks like sans video magic.

The No-VAR Shake-Up: Top and Bottom Hold Firm, But Points Tumble

Good news for the big guns and the relegation fodder: the top five and bottom three stay put. Arsenal still lead, but their nine-point cushion over Man City shrinks to seven. Pep's lot could sniff top spot with their game in hand and that Etihad showdown looming.

The Gunners owe VAR twice. A tense 1-0 at Everton hinged on a Viktor Gyökeres pen – one VAR spotted, though the Toffees missed their own shout later. Then, against Wolves, Piero Hincapié's leveller survived an onside check in a gritty 2-2.

Erling Haaland? Man's a VAR evangelist. 'It gets the call right,' he grinned, after it gifted Man City a pen in their 1-1 scrap with Brighton.

Here's the full hypothetical table – positions shifted for some mid-table scrappers:

| Position | Team | Points | Change |

|----------|------|--------|--------|

| 1 | Arsenal | 67 | — |

| 2 | Man City | 60 | — |

| 3 | Man Utd | 55 | — |

| 4 | Aston Villa | 53 | — |

| 5 | Liverpool | 52 | — |

| 6 | Brighton | 50 | +4 |

| 7 | Everton | 47 | +1 |

| 8 | Fulham | 45 | +1 |

| 9 | Bournemouth | 45 | +4 |

| 10 | Chelsea | 43 | -1 |

| 11 | Brentford | 42 | -2 |

| 12 | Newcastle | 41 | — |

| 13 | Sunderland | 39 | -2 |

| 14 | Crystal Palace | 37 | — |

| 15 | Leeds | 35 | — |

| 16 | Tottenham | 33 | +1 |

| 17 | Nott'm Forest | 31 | -1 |

| 18 | West Ham | 28 | — |

| 19 | Burnley | 23 | — |

| 20 | Wolves | 19 | — |

Man Utd? Untouched at 55 points – two VAR calls cancelled out like a dodgy bet. Samu Chukwueze's Fulham screamer ruled offside at Old Trafford, but Benjamin Šeško's late winner stood. Flip side: Casemiro's effort vs West Ham got the chop.

Liverpool drop three points after VAR pens sank them – Brentford's upgrade in a 3-2 thriller, and Leeds's leveller in a mad 3-3.

Chelsea Cash In, Brighton Bleed Points

Enter the big VAR boons. Chelsea bag five extra points early doors. Crystal Palace and Fulham goals wiped off at the Bridge, plus a pen against the Cottagers. Bournemouth griped too – Antoine Semenyo's offside 'winner' axed, then Cole Palmer's spot-kick salvaged a 2-2.

'Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola wasn't wrong: 'We've been hammered by refs.'

But spare a thought for Brighton. They'd rocket from 10th to 6th with seven more points. A derby's winning pen flipped, while rivals like Palace nabbed soft ones. Under Fabian Hürzeler, the Seagulls are drifting – VAR's not helping.

Fair Play or Foul Tech?

VAR's no season-ruiner at the extremes, but mid-table? It's a right old scrap. Enzo Fernández's Chelsea laugh last, while Brighton's tears flow. As the run-in bites, will Stockley Park play fair? Or keep dishing pub-row fodder? One thing's sure: Walker's words ring true. Cheers to that pint – and pass the specs for the next offside.

(Inspired by analysis from SI Soccer)