VAR fury ref gets dropped

REFEREE Kevin Friend has been axed from the next round of Premier League games after being caught in a VAR penalty storm.

Patrick Vieira was furious after Friend (above) gave a goal kick following Liverpool forward Diogo Jota’s collision with Crystal Palace keeper Vicente Guaita – but then upgraded it to a penalty when told to check the VAR screen.

TV pundit Alan Shearer called the decision “ridiculous, wrong, pathetic and stupid”, while Palace boss Vieira was incensed after the penalty sealed his team’s defeat to Liverpool.

Refs at the centre of controversies are often removed from the following round of games and Friend’s decision did create a huge storm.