JUSTICE WILL BE DONE WITH VAR, BUT IT COULD GET MESSY

PLAYED out at Brighton on Saturday, one of the more interesting scenarios for VAR to deal with next season. There was a blatant penalty area handball by Burnley midfielder Jeff Hendrick that went unnoticed by referee Stuart Attwell. Burnley broke, and, with no gap in play, Brighton goalkeeper Matt Ryan brought down Ashley Barnes (above) for a penalty. It was a travesty. With Burnley already leading 2-0, Brighton could have pulled it back to 2-1, instead they went 3-0 down, with 16 minutes remaining. Game over. It won’t happen next season, of course. Then, with VAR in effect, the game will be pulled back to the other end, and Brighton’s original penalty call upheld. And that’s fine, in these circumstances. Brighton were the home team and there didn’t look enough Burnley fans to start a conga, let alone a punch-up. Yet imagine the same scenario going against Manchester United, at Old Trafford, playing Liverpool. Or at Anfield, when Manchester United visit. The home side think they’ve scored but it turns out it’s a penalty down the opposite end to their most hated rivals. Justice should still be done; but hold on to your hats when it is.