Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta Says VAR Is Not Being Used 'The Right Way'

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has suggested he is in favour of VAR (video assistant referee), but he does not believe the system is being used correctly in the Premier League.

Azpilicueta's side were controversially penalised in their 2-1 win over Watford on Saturday in what was an eventful weekend for VAR:

Per Goal's Sam France, Azpilicueta said VAR decisions are "sometimes difficult to understand," and added:

"We have a lot of meetings about the VAR. There is a screen on the pitch for the ref to look and see why he made the decision not to whistle for a penalty.

"We are not using the system in the right way, which is something to help the referees make the right decision. They are human, the same as players.

"We make mistakes but why not use the whole system in the right way? That's my big point in this case and in other cases that we have seen. It could help."

The Spaniard reiterated his view that the on-field referee should view replays on the touchline, as he believes "it's worth it to spend one extra minute to make the right decision."

James Sharpe of the Mail on Sunday suggested it may not be any more disruptive to a game to have a referee review footage on the sidelines than the current system, and he observed the threshold for VAR intervention has seemingly been lowered:

Azpilicueta's side have had more VAR decisions go against them than any other in the Premier League, according to ESPN FC's Dale Johnson:

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has also had enough of the system:

VAR found plenty of critics in Sunday's 1-1 draw between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur when Heung-Min Son was sent off for a foul on Andre Gomes.

Gomes suffered a fracture dislocation on his ankle after the foul, but many, including The Athletic's Alex Kay-Jelski, felt Son's tackle was not worthy of a sending off:

Another high-profile incident over the weekend saw Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino having a goal disallowed for a marginal offside call against his armpit. 

In a Twitter thread, Johnson explained the technical process of how VAR came to the decision it did on Firmino.

Some teething problems were to be expected during the implementation of the new system, but VAR's launch in the Premier League has been particularly turbulent.

Although it could delay matches somewhat, Azpilicueta's suggestion that on-field referees review footage for themselves—as happens in the rest of Europe's top five leagues and in the UEFA Champions League—could clear up confusion on some decisions.

If the system is to be a success, it needs to be refined.