Premier League teams are thinking about terminating Hawk-Eye’s contract as their primary video assistant after a string of mishaps and contentious rulings in the present system.
The most notable recent incidents involved Liverpool being denied a draw at Tottenham Hotspur due to an incorrect offside call on Luis Diaz’s goal, and Spurs being involved in a VAR controversy at home against Chelsea that resulted in a penalty, a red card, and five goals that were disallowed.
The most recent development follows three possible reasons why Anthony Gordon’s goal for Newcastle against Arsenal last weekend should be disallowed, Mikel Arteta’s statement ctiricising PGMOL for their ambiguity, and a meeting between Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and referee chief Howard Webb following Wolves’ match against Sheffield United.
Although a statement on Thursday stated that Newcastle’s goal was the right choice, a major shift in the camera operators responsible for providing VAR angles is anticipated, which will have long-term effects for Villa.
The Daily Mail reports that Hawk-Eye’s contract will expire at the end of the current campaign, and Premier League executives are rumoured to be considering a break from the company that has run the system since its inception in the 2019–20 campaign.
It is believed that rival companies are preparing a bid to take over the contract for the 2025–2026 Premier League season, which will include the goal-line technology system that significantly contributed to Aston Villa’s survival in the league in 2019–20 when a goal against Sheffield United was disregarded by the system.
Even though Hawk-Eye are considered global “leaders” in sports like tennis and cricket, they have acknowledged that the switch to football has been “challenging” based on the conversations that seem to occur after nearly every Premier League weekend. Even in the Europa Conference League match against AZ Alkmaar last night, Clement Lenglet’s goal was mistakenly disallowed; Villa Park management has since apologised profusely for the call.
