A recent study has ignited debate among Brighton supporters by arguing that VAR errors cost the club a place in the Europa League for the 2025-26 season. The analysis points to specific decisions during key matches that, if corrected, would have given Albion enough points to leapfrog their rivals. One moment highlighted is Danny Welbeck’s finish from Kaoru Mitoma’s through ball at Craven Cottage, which restored Brighton’s lead against Fulham and sparked wild celebrations in the Putney End. The study claims that such incidents, when aggregated over the campaign, reveal a pattern of marginal calls that systematically disadvantaged Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
Yet the claim that VAR alone denied Brighton European football does not withstand rigorous examination. Football is a game of fine margins, and while a handful of contentious offside or handball calls may have gone against the Seagulls, no study can fully isolate VAR’s impact from other variables.