Players from West Ham and Arsenal surround referee Chris Kavanagh as he consults var during a Premier League matchday 36 game at the Olympic Stadium, London, England, on 10/5. Photo: Reuters

According to statistics site AceOdds, Arsenal would have five fewer points than their current tally if var were not implemented in the Premier League. Even so, the Gunners would still lead the table, but their gap to Man City would narrow to one point, having played one more match.

Man Utd would retain their third position with 65 points. Surprisingly, Brighton and Bournemouth would enter the champions league qualification spots, both on 60 points. Meanwhile, Liverpool would drop three places to seventh with 59 points, trailing Aston Villa, who would have 60 points.

Chelsea, already enduring a challenging season, would fare even worse without var. They would sit 10th with 47 points. In the relegation zone, the bottom three teams would remain unchanged: Wolves 20th, Burnley 19th, and West Ham 18th.

Without var, Tottenham would have 41 points, five points clear of the relegation zone. However, in reality, Spurs are only two points above the danger area.

These statistics emerge as West Ham considers filing a formal complaint with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) regarding a disallowed goal in their 10/5 match against Arsenal. Some UK media outlets believe the "Hammers" will demand the public release of the var officials' audio communication.

West Ham player fouls David Raya.

The refereeing body, led by Howard Webb, reportedly supports the decision and the process followed by referee Chris Kavanagh and var official Darren England, especially given the high-pressure situation. The two took four minutes 17 seconds to reach their conclusion.

This decision could significantly impact both the title race and the relegation battle. Arsenal currently lead second-placed Man City by five points, with one game in hand and two rounds remaining in the season, while West Ham remains stuck in the relegation zone.

Part of the escalating controversy surrounding the foul on goalkeeper David Raya stems from a perceived lack of consistency throughout the season, with similar situations previously going unpunished. In march, Chelsea was denied a penalty at Arsenal despite Raya using both hands to impact Joao Pedro while the striker was also pulled down. Arsenal won that match 2-1 at Emirates.

Vy Anh