The Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel recently made headlines for unanimously supporting referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision to send off Declan Rice in Arsenal’s match against Brighton & Hove Albion. This decision stemmed from an altercation between Rice and Joël Veltman, where Rice deliberately knocked the ball off the pitch, resulting in a second yellow card for delaying the restart of play. The findings of the panel suggest that Rice’s actions were intentional, and therefore, the referee was justified in his decision to issue a second caution to the Arsenal midfielder.
The KMI panel consists of five members, including three former players and/or coaches, as well as representatives from the Premier League and PGMOL. This panel was established at the beginning of the 2022-23 season to provide an independent assessment of key match incidents, rather than relying solely on the perspectives of PGMOL or the clubs themselves. The goal of this judgment is to offer an impartial evaluation of major match incidents while considering the referee’s decision-making process in subjective situations and adhering to the laws of the game and the Premier League’s interpretation.
Regarding Rice’s dismissal and other incidents in the Premier League, the KMI panel expressed “unanimous agreement” that Rice’s actions were deliberate and impactful, justifying the referee’s decision to send him off. Additionally, the panel supported referee Jarred Gillett’s choice not to issue a second yellow card to Crystal Palace midfielder Will Hughes in a separate match. Despite Hughes’ foul on Cole Palmer, the panel determined that it did not hinder a promising attack due to the positioning of the Palace defender in front of Palmer.
Minimal Controversy in the Premier League
Throughout the current season, there has been limited controversy in the Premier League, with only one VAR decision deemed incorrect thus far. This decision involved the disallowing of Dango Ouattara’s last-minute goal for handball in AFC Bournemouth’s game against Newcastle United. The KMI panel has also identified two penalty situations that were incorrectly judged on the field but did not meet the criteria for a clear and obvious error for VAR intervention. These situations include a penalty awarded to West Ham United against Aston Villa and a denied penalty to Ipswich Town against Manchester City.
In reviewing 84 key match incidents across the initial three matchdays, the VAR has received praise for its accuracy, with only nine votes out of a possible 420 indicating a mistaken decision by the video assistant. Notably, five of these votes were related to the unanimous agreement that Bournemouth’s disallowed goal should have counted. The majority of VAR interventions have been deemed correct by the KMI panel, highlighting the effectiveness of the system in ensuring fair and accurate officiating in the Premier League.