ESPN have calculated that, without VAR this season, Arsenal would be even further clear at the top of the table with a 100% win record as they head into the north London derby.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 04: Ben White of Arsenal looks dejected after Marcus Rashford of Manchester United (not pictured) scores their sides third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on September 04, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 04: Ben White of Arsenal looks dejected after Marcus Rashford of Manchester United (not pictured) scores their sides third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on September 04, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Arsenal sit on top of the Premier League with six wins out of seven games. That one defeat was, of course, the match at Old Trafford that really could have gone either way.

According to ESPN, if we removed VAR from the equation, Arsenal would have picked up all three points at Old Trafford and would be two points clear of Tottenham at the top of the table rather than one point clear of Manchester City as things currently stand.

Here’s how the Premier League table currently looks:

Premier League table
Premier League table

ESPN no-VAR table

  1. Arsenal 21
  2. Tottenham 19
  3. Man City 17
  4. Brighton 13
  5. Fulham 11
  6. Bournemouth 10
  7. Leeds 9
  8. Everton 9
  9. Man United 9
  10. Liverpool 8
  11. Newcastle 8
  12. Chelsea 8
  13. Wolves 8
  14. Brentford 7
  15. Southampton 7
  16. Aston Villa 7
  17. Crystal Palace 5
  18. West Ham 5
  19. Nottingham Forest 2
  20. Leicester 1

Ultimately, it all means nothing, but it is fun to think about.