The 2023-24 Premier League table without VAR: Aston Villa flying, tight battle for Europe…

Premier League clubs will vote on whether or not to scrap VAR from the 2024-25 season on June 6, in what could be yet another seismic change for English football.

VAR – standing for Video Assistant Referee – technology has split opinion virtually ever since its introduction in the Premier League back in the 2019-20 season, with the use of technology promising more accurate and ultimately correct officiating decisions, albeit at the expense of delays to the game.

Delays have been one of several sticking points with VAR, which has riddled the Premier League with confusion, anger and most likely a steady increase in the average resting heart rate among football fans, players and staff alike since its introduction.

The new technology was always bound to come with teething problems, but four seasons on from its initial launch in England’s top flight, it feels like we’re actually further away from it being the answer to the game’s officiating inconsistencies than ever, hence an official vote to potentially scrap it altogether.

It feels like we’re now used to regular statements from the PGMOL and Howard Webb apologising to a club on behalf of the technology failing. Luis Diaz wrongly had a goal chalked off for offside against Tottenham in late 2023.

Social media erupted after the audio was released in full, with video assistant Darren England failing to overrule an incorrect offside flag, before promptly realising his mistake – as did the infamous ‘Replay Operator’- before all hell broke loose.

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We could sit here and bore you to death with endless VAR crimes since its introduction. Every club has been on the receiving end of one and had one in their favour – even if it doesn’t feel like it – and that will likely continue for as long as the technology continues to be used by English football’s current crop of officials.

Instead, we’ve looked at what the 2023-24 Premier League table would look like if VAR hadn’t have been in operation this season, using data from football.london, with 37 games played.

The results are eye-opening. Aston Villa have enjoyed a brilliant season already without any changes, but their return to the Champions League would’ve been even more sensational without VAR, pushing Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool for third place.

Tottenham and Chelsea, meanwhile, would’ve remained locked in a tight battle for a Europa League finish, with the fight for the final, Europa Conference League spot below them involving a surprise package in the form of Fulham, who would’ve been five points better off without VAR.

Much has been made of Nottingham Forest’s attitude to referees this season, with the club actually going as far as hiring Mark Clattenburg as a referee analyst at the beginning of 2024, only for him to leave his post in May.

The table without VAR suggests there was method to their madness, however, with them being five points better off.

There are some pretty significant swings away from the top of the table, where the status quo remains. Read on to see the standings in full.

1. Man City – 88 points; 0 points difference without VAR
2. Arsenal – 85 points; -1 point difference without VAR
3. Liverpool – 76 points; -3 points difference without VAR
4. Aston Villa – 75 points; +7 points difference without VAR
5. Tottenham – 63 points; 0 points difference without VAR
6. Chelsea – 60 points; -1 point difference without VAR – as it stands Weds night (57 points before KO)
7. Newcastle – 58 points; 0 points difference without VAR – as it stands Weds night (57 points before KO)
8. Man Utd – 53 points; -2 points difference without VAR – as it stands (54 points before KO)
9. West Ham – 49 points; -3 points difference without VAR
10. Fulham – 49 points; +5 points difference without VAR
11. Brighton – 47 points; -1 point difference without VAR – as it stands Weds night (48 points before KO)
12. Bournemouth – 47 points; -1 point difference without VAR
13. Crystal Palace – 44 points; -2 points difference without VAR
14. Everton – 43 points (eight-point deduction); +3 points difference without VAR
15. Brentford – 41 points; +2 points difference without VAR
16. Wolves – 40 points; -6 points difference without VAR
17. Nottingham Forest – 34 points (four-point deduction); +5 points difference without VAR
18. Burnley – 26 points; +2 points difference without VAR
19. Luton Town – 25 points; -1 point difference without VAR
20. Sheffield Utd – 13 points; -3 points difference without VAR