Carabao Cup: VAR to be used in semi-finals and final
VAR was introduced to the Carabao Cup and FA Cup for the 2018/19 season
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The English Football League has announced that the video assistant referee system (VAR) will be in use for January’s Carabao Cup semi-finals and the final on 1 March.
VAR was introduced to the Carabao Cup and FA Cup for the 2018/19 season, but is has only been used at Premier League grounds where the technology is in place. As both semi-finals are all-Premier League ties, VAR will be used for both legs of the semi-finals, as well as the Wembley final.
Manchester United host Manchester City on Tuesday evening before the return leg on 29 January, while Leicester City host Aston Villa on Wednesday ahead of the return leg on 28 January.
Ahead of the fixtures, the EFL said in a statement: “Video Assistant Referee will be in operation for the four semi-finals and Wembley final in this year’s Carabao Cup. Fans in the stadium will be kept abreast of in-game developments with the same notification process and protocols put in place for supporters as has been used throughout the 2019-20 Premier League season.”
VAR will be based remotely at Stockley Park and will assist the referee in four match-changing situations – goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards and mistaken identity. Second yellow cards cannot be reviewed by the video assistant referee. This season has seen VAR introduced to the Premier League for the first time, but it has suffered a number of teething problems and is yet to win over many fans.
Concerns about the length of time to make decisions, marginal offside calls and the fact that the referee does not consult a pitch side monitor – as they do in many other leagues – have prompted backlash to VAR’s introduction. Fans will hope that VAR will not detract from the scintillating semi-final ties which include two Manchester Derbies and intriguing clashes between high-flying Leicester and injury-struck Aston Villa.
Manchester United are aiming to reach their 10th League Cup final but face current holders Manchester City, who have reached seven finals and won six of them. Aston Villa last won the competition in 1996 – their fifth triumph – and face a Leicester side who have won the cup on three occasions, most recently in 2000.
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