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      Who is Liverpool vs Tottenham referee Craig Pawson and how do in-stadium VAR announcements work?

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      LIVERPOOL and Tottenham are set to clash in a HUGE semi-final tie at Anfield, with both sides aiming for a spot in the Carabao Cup final.Craig Pawson will take charge of the game, with VAR set to continue their trial of in-stadium announcements.Craig Pawson will take charge of the second leg between Tottenham and LiverpoolLucas Bergvall controversially scored the only goal in the first legArne Slot and Liverpool go into the second leg with a mountain to climb, having lost the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Lucas Bergvall controversially scored the winner for Tottenham, having not seen a second yellow card for a late challenge on Curtis Jones earlier in the game.How do the VAR in-stadium announcements work?VAR has implemented the in-stadium announcements as part of an ongoing trial during the Carabao Cup semi-finals.As usual, the Video Assistant Referee can make decisions in the event of foul play or can advise the referee to go to the monitor to review a decision.Read more FootballLIVERPOOL VS SPURS – LATEST UPDATESIn these instances, once the referee or VAR has made a decision, the on-field referee will broadcast his decision to the stadium via the PA system.The first time this was used in the Carabao Cup was during the first leg of this tie, when Dominic Solanke had a goal ruled out for offside. The system had seen a successful trial at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.Most read in FootballWho is Craig Pawson?Craig Pawson is an English referee who will take charge of the Carabao Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Tottenham.Pawson has been a referee in the Premier League since 2013, after spending a spell as a referee in the Football League between 2008-13.He had been a FIFA listed referee since 2015, but stepped down in 2024.‘The ref made a mistake’ – Virgil van Dijk furious at Bergvall’s winner moments after Spurs star should have seen redWill there be extra time in the Liverpool vs Tottenham game?If Liverpool score once and Tottenham fail to reply then yes, there will be extra time.The game will have an extra 30 minutes should it end level on aggregate after 90 minutes.If the scores remain level after extra time, then the game will be decided by a penalty shootout.What TV channel is Liverpool vs Tottenham on and can the match be live streamed FREE?The Carabao Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Tottenham will be available to watch on Sky Sports, as well as ITV1.The game is available for stream on Sky Go or the Sky Sports app, and will also be available for FREE on the ITVX app/website.The game will kick-off at 8pm GMT from Anfield, with coverage set to start around an hour and a half prior to kick-off.Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club. More

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      New VAR protocol seen just once before in England leaves fans divided as they claim Newcastle ‘robbed’ vs Arsenal

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      FANS were left divided by a new VAR protocol used for only the second time in England.During Newcastle’s League Cup semi-final win against Arsenal, Alexander Isak raced through on goal after just four minutes before slotting in to seemingly make it 1-0.Simon Hooper announced the decision that Alexander Isak was offside after scoring against ArsenalCredit: Sky SportsIsak scored after just four minutes but when the goal was ruled out the TVCredit: GettyHowever, the goal was chalked off by VAR following an offside check.Referee Simon Hooper then announced the decision over the stadium speakers, only the second time this has been seen after it was used during Tottenham’s League Cup first-leg with Liverpool last month.Despite the announcement, fans at home were originally not shown the offside lines being drawn to confirm the decision.Fans rushed to social media to give their say on the new protocol, with some furious at the goal being ruled out without complete clarity being provided.One fan said: “The referee mic’d up. This is what happens when you let yanks anywhere near our beautiful game.”A second said: “Love this new referee announcement. Well done.”A third said: “They didn’t even draw any lines just straight offside lol.”Another said: “Newcastle robbed.”Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThe offside was shown to fans at home later onCredit: Sky Sports/EFLA fifth added: “That is a daylight robbery against Newcastle.”A sixth said: “This referee live mic in is too funny. Sounds like a little kid breathing in his mic on Fortnite haha.”Never-before-seen moment in English football as referee speaks to crowd to confirm why Spurs goal ruled out vs LiverpoolAnother said: “Ref looked absolutely petrified there, not sure they signed up for public speaking in front of 50k.”An eighth said: “Referee on the mic is a complete waste of time, why doesn’t the ref announce a VAR check immediately after the goal is scored if they doubt the validity of it. As it stands there is still a 2/3 min, and more, delay in the stadium where no one knows what’s going on, nothing’s changed.”The offside lines were later shown to fans back home, revealing how far Isak had strayed offside before the disallowed goal.In a statement on the decision, the EFL said: “Isak’s goal was initially awarded on-field. “VAR checked and determined that he was in an offside position and recommended that the goal was disallowed.”Isak was involved once again later on when Newcastle did make a breakthrough.The Swede raced through on goal behind William Saliba seconds after Martin Odegaard fired the ball against the post.His curling effort beat David Raya but hit the post before it cannoned back out to where Jacob Murphy was for him to tap into an open net, with his shot amazingly also glancing the post on the way in.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnthony Gordon capitalised on a Raya mistake to make it 2-0 which is how the game ended, meaning a 4-0 aggregate win for the Toon.Newcastle will meet Liverpool or Tottenham in the final.Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club. More

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      Premier League refs are best in world and other countries AGREE say chiefs – as just four mistakes this season revealed

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      PREMIER LEAGUE chiefs remain convinced they have “the best referees in the world” — and insist that other countries AGREE.As officials in Spain discussed going on strike in protest at abuse from fans and clubs,  the Prem’s chief football officer claimed that top-flight whistlers are better than they have ever been.Chiefs reckon Premier League refs are the world’s best despite some high-profile errorsCredit: RexMichael Oliver’s red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly was later overturnedCredit: PATony Scholes said: “One of our main targets is to have the best match officials in the world — and we do. “We have ten officials on the Fifa list and two of them — Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor — are in the top ten in the world according to Fifa.“Other leagues around the world look up to the officials and VAR process in this country as a model they would like  to follow.“That’s the message we get from people around the world.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut Oliver and Taylor have been at the centre of major controversies this season.Oliver red-carded Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly for ‘serious foul play’ at Wolves last month but the player’s three-match ban was overturned on appeal.He was also the VAR who advised ref David Coote to review an  injury-time incident when  West Ham beat Manchester United after being awarded a  late penalty  — that ultimately led to Old Trafford boss Erik ten Hag’s October sacking.And Taylor giving Brighton a penalty against Arsenal last month when William Saliba ‘headed’ Joao Pedro led to Gunners fury.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSYet that West Ham spot-kick is one of only FOUR mistakes after a VAR intervention so far this season — according to the Prem’s key match incident panel, which including ex-players, managers and referees.The panel also highlighted another nine  incidents where the VAR should have intervened.Premier League clash descends into farce as VAR counts number of playersThose four VAR errors . . .BOURNEMOUTH 1 NEWCASTLE 1Dango Ouattara’s late ‘winner’ was wrongly chalked off for handball after being awarded on the field.WEST HAM 2 MAN UTD 1Hammers’ stoppage-time spot-kick  winner came after Michael Oliver advised David Coote to review Matthijs de Ligt’s contact with Danny Ings.EVERTON 0 BRENTFORD 0Christian Norgaard should not have received a red card for ploughing into keeper Jordan Pickford.NOTTM FOREST 3 SOUTHAMPTON 2Nikola Milenkovic’s goal was ruled out for subjective offside against Chris Wood,  but VAR should not have got involved.That figure is markedly down from the total of 20 cock-ups at the same point of last season and 25 at the corresponding time in 2022-23.Scholes added: “Nobody under-estimates the gigantic impact of any single error.“They can cost a club points, managers their jobs, players their place in the team and have a huge impact on a game of such high stakes“But, while there were four incorrect interventions, that means 66  correct ones while the total errors are down.”Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club. More

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      Former referee Dermot Gallagher spots VAR ‘optical illusion’ in Chelsea’s controversial goal against West Ham

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      DERMOT GALLAGHER pointed out a flaw with the VAR system… it can be littered with “optical illusions”.The former match official was appearing on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch to discuss two major incidents in Chelsea’s controversial win over West Ham.Dermot Gallagher called this still image an ‘optical illusion’Dermot Gallagher believes it was the correct decision to allow Chelsea’s goal to standIn the build up to Pedro Neto’s all-important second-half equaliser, Jarrod Bowen was bundled over by Levi Colwill.No foul was given and play waved on, as Chelsea went up the other end to score.But the goal itself was also mired in controversy after Marc Cucurella was adjudged to NOT be offside.Neto whipped the ball across with the left-back in an offside position.READ MORE SPORT STORIESHowever, there was much debate as to whether Marc Guiu got a flick on the ball en-route to Cucurella.If he had, then Cucurella would absolutely have been offside.The ball came across to Neto, who smashed the ball into the back of the net.After a VAR check, the goal was allowed to stand, with Guiu therefore not adjudged to have got a flick.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSGallagher – who admitted the collision between Bowen and Colwill could perhaps have been a free-kick for West Ham – said it looked as though Guiu got a touch based on a still photo.However, he called it an optical illusion as he pointed to the fact you couldn’t see a touch when watching the video.Chelsea vs West Ham: Player Ratings BreakdownGallagher said: “If he touches it, without doubt Cucurella is offside.”But you look at it, there’s one angle that I think is an optical illusion…”It looks as though he touches it but it’s a still photo and I think still photos can be deceiving.”You look at it and there’s no evidence he’s touched the ball.”So I feel he’s duty bound to allow the goal.”Gallagher went on to admit while the foul on Bowen should have been given, enough time had passed between that incident and the goal to not go back and check it.On the goal, the Premier League commented: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by the VAR as there was no factual evidence that Guiu made contact with the ball in the build-up, therefore there was no offside offence.”CHELSEA PLAYER RATINGS: Levi Colwill’s sluggish performance saved by Pedro Neto’s best showing in a Blues shirtCHELSEA capitalised on the failures of their rivals to move up to fourth in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over West Ham.A host of changes from Enzo Maresca upped the tempo in the second half, and they paid dividends with Pedro Neto driving home an equaliser in the 63rd minute after a shot from Fernandez.Jarrod Bowen had capitalised on a Levi Colwill error to fire West Ham ahead.Fans grew optimistic as the home side grew into the game, which culminated in a deflected Cole Palmer effort sending the Bridge into raptures as they went 2-1 up.Here is how SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield rated Chelsea’s performance.Filip Jorgensen – 7It would’ve been a tough task to disappoint Chelsea fans after what they have seen from Robert Sanchez in recent weeks.There wasn’t an awful lot he could do about the opener, and actually made some pretty good stops to prevent his side being more than one goal down at the halfway point.Those saves proved vital, and he should expect to start against Brighton up next.Reece James – 6His crosses from the right were good throughout the first half, but there was no one clinical enough in the box to grab him an assist.Strong defensively, but ultimately didn’t have much to do in that aspect with Chelsea dominant on the flanks.Tosin Adarabioyo – 7Strong in the air and pretty good across the ground.Perhaps could have done a little more to prevent Bowen opening the scoring as he seemed to stand and watch him shoot, but overall was good and is growing into a good, consistent Premier League centre half.His vital block in added time might well have been the difference between three points and one.Levi Colwill – 3His awful backpass rolledBowen in perfectly to give the Hammers the lead just before first half-time.A lousy and sluggish performance improved in the second half after his side took the lead, but he was fortunate not to cost his side points tonight.Marc Cucurella – 7Inverted well from left back into midfield in a role that looks made for him, he was strong in his tackles and good in the air from start to finish.Got into dangerous positions going forward, but couldn’t add the finishing touches to his game on this occasion.Moises Caicedo – 7Tenacious tackling and energy is what the home fans have become accustomed to seeing from their Ecuadorian destroyer.Glimpses of that in the first half extended into a mature and controlled second 45 minutes where he looked to have Mo Kudus’ number.Enzo Fernández – 5Missed a huge chance to give Chelsea the lead which he rolled past the left hand post from a few yards out.It was his blocked effort which bounced out for Neto to level the scoring, but overall the Argentine looked a bit off the pace in midfield.Noni Madueke – 4Perhaps should’ve had a goal and assist in the first half an hour as he was set up by Nicolas Jackson and put the ball on a plate for Fernandez, but neither chance was converted.His best moment of the second half was when he bodied the referee, before being subbed for Christopher Nkunku.Cole Palmer – 7A quiet first half had the travelling fans comparing him to Andy Irving, but he soon showed them up.Almost scored a free-kick similar to the one we saw against Brighton this season, but it was well saved by Alphonse Areola.It was his deflected effort that put his side in the lead as he grew into the game more and more.Jadon Sancho – 4His quick feet made him a threat on the left-hand side in the first half, but again his end product or lack thereof would’ve cost Chelsea if his replacement didn’t bail them out.Was subbed five minutes into the second half for Pedro Neto.Nicolas Jackson – 3Showed some promising signs early on with a good ball into Noni Madueke, who narrowly missed the goal.Aside from that, he looked like a striker utterly devoid of any confidence and was poor before being hooked for 18-year-old Marc Guiu.SUBSMarc Guiu (Nicolas Jackson, 51) – 5Didn’t really do a lot wrong or right after coming on for Nicolas Jackson.Certainly looks more confident in the Conference League, but Premier League minutes in the tank will do him good.Pedro Neto (Jadon Sancho, 51) – 8His best performance in a Chelsea shirt since he joined.A composed finish saw him level the scoring before more great work in the build up sawPalmer rifle home a deflected effort.Great energy, work rate, and end product from Maresca’s own Portuguese magnifico.Malo Gusto (Reece James, 60) – 6Was energetic and strong after replacing captain Reece James, also playing a part in the goal that put his side in the lead.His passing was good and he looked more like the player who became a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge last campaign.Christopher Nkunku (Noni Madueke, 60) – 5Did a job for the team out of position on the left-hand side in Jadon Sancho’s position. More

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      LaLiga chaos as referees willing to go on STRIKE after Real Madrid statement claiming decisions are ‘manipulated’

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      LALIGA referees are reportedly considering going on strike after a letter from Real Madrid questioning their integrity.In a bombshell statement, the Champions League winners said “decisions against Real Madrid have reached a level of manipulation and adulteration of the competition that can no longer be ignored.”LaLiga referees are willing to go on strike after Real Madrid issued a statement claiming their decisions were ‘manipulated’Credit: AFPReal Madrid were left furious after this challenge on Kylian Mbappe was only punished with a yellow cardCredit: DAZNVinicius Jr also saw a goal disallowed due to this off-the-ball challenge from MbappeLos Blancos were left furious with the quality of officiating during their 1-0 loss at Espanyol.Vinicius Jr saw a first half goal disallowed for an off-the-ball foul by Kylian Mbappe.And Espanyol’s Carlos Romero was only shown a yellow card for a studs-up lunge on Mbappe, before going on to score the winning goal.The Real Madrid letter also stated: “The scandal generated by this match has once again had worldwide repercussions, with the international press denouncing the biased use of VAR in Spain and the lack of credibility of Spanish refereeing.”READ MORE ON REAL MADRIDAnd the club called for the VAR audio footage of the incidents in question to be released immediately.But, answering a question from a caller, Cope journalist Isaac Fouto claimed that some referees in LaLiga are in favour of going on strike in response to the accusations.He said: “There are referees from the First Division who believe that they should go on strike.”But he added: “The strike is either everyone [or no-one]… some have said they will go, but everyone has to go.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”It is being considered, it is being considered in the environment. If this takes this turn, the competition will stop.”Following the Real Madrid letter, the Spanish FA [RFEF] released a statement backing its officials.Wholesome moment Jude Bellingham leaves a young Real Madrid fan crying with happiness as he hands him his shirtThe RFEF commented: “The refereeing task, by its very nature, is subject to review and analysis.”But this cannot lead to generalised accusations that cast doubt on their integrity, as this not only affects the referees themselves, but also erodes the credibility of soccer as a whole.“It is important to reflect on the consequences of this type of systematic questioning of refereeing. “Constantly delegitimizing the work of referees outside the established channels generates a climate of mistrust that benefits neither Spanish football nor its competitions.”Meanwhile Carlo Ancelotti has come out and said that the refereeing is better in the Premier League than LaLiga.The Real Madrid boss said: “What league has the best referees? Difficult to say. It’s a tough job. “What I can say is referees suffer less pressure in England, so they do their job better.” More

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      Arsenal would be TOP of the Premier League if VAR didn’t exist as full table is revealed

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      ARSENAL would be TOP of the Prem table if VAR did not exist.Despite their 5-1 thumping of Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s side remain six points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand.Arsenal would be top of the league if VAR did not existCredit: GettyLiverpool would be a point worse off without the technologyCredit: AlamyBut if the original decisions in the Gunners’ games had not been overturned by the Stockley Park VAR booth, Arsenal would have had SIX more points, with Liverpool a point worse off.And that would have seen the Emirates side a point clear of the Anfield outfit.Arsenal have only seen five decisions changed after VAR intervention in their 24 Prem games so far.Only one of those – when Kai Havertz’ injury time goal in the 4-2 win over Leicester was initially wrongly flagged, has gone in their favour.READ MORE ON ARSENALThe first of the others saw William Saliba’s yellow card for a “last man” foul on Bournemouth striker Evanilson upgraded – although Arsenal were second best all game as they eventually lost 2-0.But the other three decisions – while all rightly corrected, denied the Gunners three wins.Havertz thought he had put his side ahead in the first half of the 1-1 draw at Chelsea, only for the technology to wipe out the strike.Then an offside call against Gabriel Martinelli in the build-up wiped out Bukayo Saka’s 88th-minute “winner” at Fulham.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAnd the VAR booth spotting that Mikel Merino’s late shot had deflected past Aston Villa keeper Emi Martinez off Havertz’s forearm meant last month’s clash at the Emirates finished 2-2.Liverpool’s second goal in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United came with VAR spotting a handball offence by Matthijs de Ligt, ensuring they took a point from the game.Premier League clash descends into farce as VAR counts number of playersWhile none of those decisions were wrong, it does show the potential impact of VAR.Without VAR, Bournemouth would be fourth, three places and five points better off – with PGMOL conceding their “winner” against Newcastle at the start of the season was wrongly disallowed for handball by Dango Ouattara.Newcastle have had TEN VAR changes in their favour, with only two against, while the technology has cost Man Utd four points. More

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      VAR orders referee to count number of players on pitch in most bizarre Premier League intervention yet

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      CHAOS erupted after VAR bizarrely ordered referee Andy Madley to count the NUMBER of players on the pitch during Wolves v Aston Villa.Wolves cruised to a shock 2-0 win against Villa at Molineux to move out of the relegation zone.Andy Madley was asked to confirm the NUMBER of players on the pitchGoncalo Guedes was already in the dugout but Wolves subs weren’t allowed onConfusion broke out on the touchlineIt took just under three minutes for Wolves to make two subsThe second half was littered with controversial moments as Villa saw a goal disallowed and Wolves were denied a penalty shout.The encounter then saw embarrassing scenes which have been likened to a Sunday League mix up.Wolves were 1-0 up -after Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s opener – when they tried to make a double substitution in the 71st minute.The idea was for Goncalo Guedes and Rayan Ait-Nouri to make way for Rodrigo Gomes and Tommy Doyle.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSHowever, what should’ve been a routine changeover after the Wolves par left the pitch was far from simple.Madley blew to stop play and was asked to get his fingers out and count up the players on the turf.Guedes was already sitting in the dugout, but Wolves weren’t allowed to bring their replacements on despite the fact that Tim Robinson was holding the fourth official board up. One fan wrote: “What in the Sunday league is going on here at Wolves 🤣.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe commentator said: “VAR are asking the referee to confirm that nobody has left the field. It beggars belief. Extraordinary scenes.”It took just under three minutes for Wolves to make those two substitutions. Aston Villa confirm Jhon Duran’s £64million transfer to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr with blunt 58-word statementIt’s unclear who asked him but Matt Donohue and Wade Smith were on VAR duties.Proceedings finally got back underway before Matheus Cunha wrapped up all three points in the seventh minute of injury time.But to make matters worse, VAR was previously called into scrutiny just 20 minutes before the chaos after disallowing Villa’s equaliser.New £21.5million signing Donyell Malen, who replaced Ollie Watkins at half-time, thought he’d scored his first Villa goal.Malen was behind the ball when he converted a low cross from John McGinn, although the linesman immediately raised his flag.But VAR found something else wrong and ruled that Morgan Rogers was offside when he obstructed Nelson Semedo in the build-up. A statement from the Premier League’s Match Centre account on X read: “The referees call of no goal due to an offside offence is checked and confirmed by VAR – with Rogers in an offside position and deemed to be impacting the ability of Semedo to play or challenge for the ball.”Matheus Cunha wrapped up all three points in the seventh minute of injury timeCredit: Alamy More

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      Arsenal are one of Premier League’s LUCKIEST teams this season despite fan complaints as full luck table revealed

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      THE Premier League luck table has been revealed – with Arsenal getting the rub of the green.The title-chasing Gunners have been on the wrong end of a number of decisions so far this season.Arsenal have been one of the more lucky teams in the Premier LeagueCredit: GettyManchester United have been at the other end of the able, so far this campaignCredit: APThat includes a now rescinded red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly against Wolves last weekend.However, new stats by analysts at OLBG appear to show Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t been as unlucky as they think in the Premier League.A mix of minimal defensive errors and moderate VAR outcomes see Arsenal third in the table.They’ve not conceded an error leading to a goal all season, and score a number of them.READ MORE ON ARSENALHowever, they have had seven injuries this campaign, to key players such as Bukayo Saka.Meanwhile, Manchester United and Chelsea are having very little when it comes to luck.They’ve had a mixture of injuries, VAR decision against them, and a staggering NINE errors leading to goals.Ruben Amorim’s side haven’t had VAR on their side much, and struggled to bag late on.Most read in FootballMeanwhile, Chelsea are in the same boat, with five decisions for and against through VAR.They’ve also had the same amount of injuries and late goals scored.The Blues have conceded eight times between the 81-90 minute in the Premier League, as well.The table – which is solely based off stats – shows Newcastle are the luckiest side ahead of Gameweek 24.Southampton, who are bottom of the real Prem, are the unluckiest, with 17 goals against them from errors.The Saints have also had a tough time stopping late goals, with 11 against them in the final ten.How the Premier League luck table worksErrors Leading to Goals – 20%Goals Conceded (81-90 min) – 20%Number of Injuries – 10%VAR Against – 20%VAR For – 20%Goals Scored (81-90 min) – 10%Ipswich and Everton are also around the bottom, struggling with a high amount of mistakes.Each team has been given a luck score out of 100 for the unique insight into the 2024-25 campaign.READ MORE SUN STORIES”The Luck Index offers a fascinating perspective on how external factors, beyond skill and strategy, can influence the Premier League,” said Jake Aston, Sports Betting Expert at OLBG.”It’s a unique way to analyse the unpredictable elements of football.” More