ESPN has sparked controversy with their assessment that Edson Alvarez was not fouled in the match against Manchester United, despite footage showing Casemiro seemingly locking him in a headlock.
Recently, West Ham has faced several debatable VAR calls, notably in their game against Sheffield United, where questionable decisions led to the team losing valuable points.
Adding to their grievances, West Ham supporters believe they suffered from another VAR oversight during their clash with Manchester United. In a moment of contention, Casemiro appeared to place Edson Alvarez in what looked to be a headlock during a corner kick.
ESPN, however, has overlooked this incident, surprisingly pointing fingers at Alvarez himself. According to them, “Holding and grappling are common in set pieces, suggesting that while it might warrant more frequent penalties to deter such actions, VAR intervention is typically reserved for instances where the holding significantly affects play.”
They further elaborated, “Although one might argue that Casemiro’s actions limited Álvarez’s chance to effectively redirect Soucek’s header, Álvarez was also not completely innocent, as he was seen wrapping an arm around the Manchester United player and leaning into him. Therefore, any potential VAR review would primarily focus on whether Casemiro’s arm placement around Álvarez’s neck was egregious enough.”
Despite the analysis suggesting that the incident may appear more severe in still images than in real-time action, and unlikely to be deemed impactful enough for a Premier League VAR review, it raises questions about the standards being applied. The consensus among many is clear: placing hands around an opponent’s neck is far from acceptable, regardless of the context. Given the nature of the incident, many argue it should have clearly resulted in a penalty, challenging the consistency and efficacy of VAR decisions in the league.
