KMI Data Reveals Arsenal and Chelsea Benefited from Officiating Errors in Title Season
New data from the KMI panel indicates Arsenal and Chelsea were the primary beneficiaries of on-field and VAR errors during the 2025-26 campaign, while Leeds United suffered the most significant negative impact.
Arsenal and Chelsea emerged as the primary beneficiaries of officiating errors during the 2025-26 Premier League season, according to data released by the league’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel. The analysis reveals that the two London clubs gained from seven and eight referee mistakes respectively, contributing to a season where 25 VAR errors were recorded.
Arsenal, who secured the league title without receiving a red card or conceding a penalty, benefited from seven errors in their favour. These included three penalties that should have been awarded to opponents and three red cards that the Gunners should have received. Chelsea, meanwhile, gained from eight errors, including two incorrect VAR interventions that disallowed a goal for Fulham and awarded a penalty against Crystal Palace.
The total number of VAR errors in the 2025-26 season rose to 25, an increase from the 18 recorded in the previous campaign. However, this figure remains lower than the 31 errors in 2023-24 and the 38 errors in 2022-23. The KMI panel, established in 2022 to remove performance statistics from the refereeing body, evaluates decisions based on the laws of the game and the Premier League’s expectations for officiating.
Leeds United suffered the most negative impact, recording an overall net score of -4. The club was the only team in the league to have no officiating mistakes go in their favour. Other clubs that faced significant challenges included Crystal Palace, which finished with a score of -3, and Everton and Brighton, both on -2.
Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) expressed satisfaction with the season-on-season improvements in recent years, noting that the overall trend remains positive despite the increase in errors. The panel highlighted a marked improvement in serious foul play decisions, with the missed red card in the penultimate gameweek being the first error of the campaign. Additionally, the number of VAR interventions was the lowest of all seven seasons, and the Premier League continues to have the lowest rate of reviews across Europe’s top leagues.
Fan sentiment regarding VAR remains divided, with recent surveys showing varying levels of dissatisfaction. A Football Supporters’ Association poll found that 75 per cent of fans are against the technology, while a YouGov poll indicated that only 18 per cent of respondents wanted the Premier League to stop using VAR entirely. The PGMO noted that delays have improved, averaging 47 seconds per game this season compared to 64 seconds in 2023-24.
The KMI panel’s methodology considers both decisions wrongly changed on review and those that should have been corrected but were not. The panel also reviews second yellow cards, noting that nine players escaped a second caution this season, compared to seven in 2024-25. These decisions will be reviewable by VAR next season, a change aimed at reducing incorrect cautions.
