This is football without VAR. It’s not perfect, but is it better? No wonder even Eddie Howe is torn
Sandro Tonali of Newcastle complains to referee Chris Kavanagh during Saturday’s FA Cup game against Aston Villa
“Isn’t it nice to have a weekend without VAR, where we can all simply focus on the football and refereeing does not have to dominate the narrative? This just in: that is not how football works. ‘Have we finally found the game that might turn you in favour of VAR?’ presenter Kelly Cates teased a wound-up Alan Shearer in the BBC studio at half-time of his beloved Newcastle United’s FA Cup fourth-round meeting with Aston Villa on Saturday. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)