Premier League table without VAR: Where Aston Villa, Wolves, Everton, Newcastle & Liverpool would sit

Aston Villa have enjoyed a strong start to the 2023-24 Premier League season as Unai Emery continues to work his magic. The Villa Park outfit sit in fifth place with 16 points from eight games, just one point behind Liverpool in fourth.

Meanwhile, Wolves had endured a tricky start to the campaign but have hit form in recent weeks after beating Manchester City and drawing with Villa. Gary O’Neil’s side are also unbeaten in their last three league outings.

In last weekend’s 1-1 draw, Matt Doherty appeared to push Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the dying moments of the Midlands derby but no penalty was given. The England international hit the ground, claiming to have been impeded by the contact but referee Rob Jones didn’t deem the offence to be worthy of a spot-kick, as VAR agreed.

It is not the first time the involvement from Stockley Park, or lack of in this case, has led to debate over the impact of VAR. Following the latest involvements from VAR we have looked at how the early table might look without the use of the technology. Factoring in VAR decisions that led to goals being disallowed or awarded by the technology, including via penalties, here’s how the table might look as things stand...