Referees Off to a Poor Start This Season, Says Maddison

Maddison’s Critique on Refereeing Standards

Tottenham’s James Maddison has expressed his disappointment regarding the performance of referees and the video assistant referees (VAR) in the current Premier League season, calling it an “absolute shocker.”

Maddison, sidelined due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, voiced his frustration on social media after Cristian Romero’s goal during Spurs’ 3-0 victory over West Ham was disallowed.

During the match at London Stadium, Maddison believed he had scored the opening goal. However, referee Jarred Gillett disallowed it for a supposed foul on Kyle Walker-Peters by Micky van de Ven prior to the goal.

VAR John Brooks reviewed the incident briefly but ultimately backed Gillett’s ruling.

The Premier League’s Match Centre later clarified: “The referee’s call of no goal was checked and confirmed by VAR — it was determined that Van de Ven pushed Walker-Peters in the back, affecting his ability to play the ball.”

Replays indicated that West Ham’s goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, had actually pushed Mateus Fernandes into Van de Ven, causing an interference with Walker-Peters.

In response to the incident, Maddison remarked, “Honestly, the referees and VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season. If that goal is disallowed for a foul, you’ll never see a corner taken without the referee blowing for something again.”

Former Wales international Ashley Williams sided with Maddison, stating Romero’s goal should have been allowed. He pointed out that West Ham’s goalkeeper pushed his own player into Van de Ven, who then collided with Walker-Peters without initiating the contact himself. Williams added, “We’ve watched it back numerous times, and you can clearly see he didn’t push Walker-Peters over. The referee made a decision on the field, and that’s why VAR was hesitant to intervene, but that’s its purpose.”

Fortunately for Spurs, goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, and Van de Ven sealed their win over a depleted West Ham side.

Howard Webb, chief of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, has underscored a strategy of “reduced intervention” for VAR in the Premier League. This policy aims to preserve the game’s flow, maintaining a high threshold for overturning decisions—especially goals—and only stepping in for clear-cut situations.

Webb commented earlier this month, “We’ve effectively minimized our involvement regarding referees’ decisions over the past 18 months. We’ve experienced fewer interventions in the Premier League compared to any other major league in Europe, and we need to keep that trend going.”

Other Notable VAR Controversies This Season

Key Incidents This Season

• Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth (15 August): The Anfield crowd was left baffled when Bournemouth’s Marco Senesi was not penalized for what seemed a clear handball that prevented Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike from a clear scoring opportunity. The Premier League later stated that Senesi’s actions were not considered a clear foul.

• Fulham 1-1 Manchester United (24 August): Fulham defender Calvin Bassey asserted that he was pushed by Leny Yoro leading up to United’s second-half goal. Fulham’s coach Marco Silva remarked that “everyone could see” the infringement.

• Chelsea 2-0 Fulham (30 August): Silva and his team were outraged when Joshua King’s goal was disallowed for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz, who was perceived to have stepped on Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah’s foot. The Key Match Incidents panel later confirmed the goal should have counted.

• Manchester United 3-2 Burnley (30 August): Burnley manager Scott Parker expressed concerns over VAR affecting the game’s dynamics after two decisions went against his team.

• Wolves 2-3 Everton (30 August): Referee Michael Oliver did not award a penalty for Iliman Ndiaye’s foul on Hugo Bueno, and VAR Craig Pawson did not intervene, prompting the Key Match Incidents panel to state that a penalty should have been given.

Former Premier League player Stephen Warnock voiced frustration over recent match incidents, saying, “Regardless of how you look at it, the game is regressing. It’s becoming less enjoyable to watch.”