VAR’s biggest buzzkill moments: England denied in two semi-finals, epic Champions League ties decided by tiny margins and Arsenal’s title hopes dealt big blow… as Coventry are denied one of FA Cup’s great miracles

 

For Manchester United fans, it was the biggest of let-offs. For everybody else, it was yet more evidence VAR is sucking the joy out of football.

Coventry City denied one of the greatest moments in FA Cup history – and one of the most miraculous comebacks of all-time – by mere inches.

In the days before technology, Victor Torp’s winner in the dying seconds of extra time would have been heralded as yet more magic from the world’s greatest cup competition.

It could well have also sealed Erik ten Hag‘s fate as United boss.

But the ruthless accuracy of VAR and its offside lines stopped wild Coventry celebrations in their tracks and ultimately allowed United passage to the final.

With Coventry the clear underdogs, and certainly at 3-0 down, it was another moment where VAR proved a killjoy for the wider football-watching public.

Whoever you support, there have been moments when VAR really has spoilt the game we all love.

Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur served up one of the great Champions League contests in the 2019 quarter-finals – but ultimately VAR decided the outcome.

First, there was what proved to be the winning goal bundled home by Fernando Llorente from a corner. After an agonisingly long VAR check, it stood because the Spurs man scored with his hip and not his arm.

Then, in the third minute of stoppage time, City’s Raheem Sterling scored what would have been the winner, sparking euphoric Etihad celebrations with Pep Guardiola performing a touchline dash.

But that ecstasy turned to agony when officials spotted Sergio Aguero was just offside when Bernardo Silva diverted the ball into his path to tee up Sterling.

It left City feeling numb and Spurs thankful for the officials and their replays.

White’s toenail offside in World Cup semi-final

The Lionesses came agonisingly close to reaching their first Women’s World Cup final in 2019 when they pushed much-fancied USA to the brink.

Ellen White had already scored one equaliser and thought she’d made it 2-2 in the second-half.

But a VAR inspection found White to be marginally offside as she ran onto Jill Scott’s through ball.

Even a year later, White admitted she was still haunted by the decision. ‘I do sit at home at night and say: ‘Ahhh, I just can’t stand VAR’,’ she said.

It also denied White the tournament Golden Boot award, which went to the USA’s Megan Rapinoe.

In fairness, that VAR misfortune was cancelled out when it awarded England a penalty for a foul on White late on, only for Steph Houghton to fluff her lines.

An agonising case of what might have been for England.

Lingard’s late winner counts for nothing

England’s men also suffered semi-final VAR agony in 2019. Fair enough, the UEFA Nations League is no World Cup but it denied them passage to a tournament final nonetheless.

Their game with the Netherlands in Guimaraes, Portugal was on a knife-edge at 1-1 when Jesse Lingard fired England into a pretty unmerited lead late on.

It sparked wild celebrations among thousands of English fans inside the stadium – only for VAR to intervene and rule it out after a two-minute check.

Gareth Southgate’s side never recovered from the blow with a defensive horror show in extra time consigning them to a 3-1 loss.

Lingard’s career has seemingly gone downhill ever since.