Key Match Incidents panel: Marcos Senesi should have seen red twice

The BBC has taken a look at the 13 VAR errors so far this season – and Bournemouth have been involved in four of them.

The Premier League KMI panel meets each week, and consists of three former players and coaches, and one league representative and one from the Professional Game Match Officials.

They take a look at all the decisions made by referees, considering the laws of the game and also how the league expects games to be refereed.

It considers firstly the on-field decision by the ref, before considering the VAR’s work.

The Cherries have had correct decisions made in their games this term - like against Spurs, when referee Darren England rightly overturned a penalty awarded to the visitors. (Image: Richard Crease)

The panel can determine that the referee made the wrong call, but that the VAR was right not to intervene, due to the higher threshold of clear and obvious.

The first mistake of the season came on the opening day of the campaign as the Cherries visited Anfield.

While at 0-0, the ball struck Senesi on the arm when he was the last man, as Hugo Ekitike looked to get in on goal.

No card was shown as it was not deemed to be foul play on the pitch, before Michael Oliver upheld that decision as the VAR.

But the KMI panel voted 4-1 that both the onfield decision and the VAR call were mistakes.

It said: "There is a secondary action by Senesi, where he moves his arm to flick the ball away, which is a handball offence. The majority feel that this was an obvious goal-scoring opportunity."

Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike (left) reacts after a challenge with Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

In October, the Cherries headed to Crystal Palace and went to a 2-0 lead thanks to a Junior Kroupi brace.

But, six minutes after halftime, Senesi brought Ismaila Sarr down and a free kick was awarded – with the Argentine going into the book.

Referee Jarred Gillett was sent to the VAR screen to review his decision and potentially upgrade it to a red, but he stuck with the yellow as he deemed Sarr to be going away from goal.

However, the KMI panel said VAR was right to intervene and the wrong decision was arrived at.

It voted 3-2 in favour of the on-field decision was a mistake, while voting 3-2 in the VAR’s favour for intervening. It said: “The majority felt that Sarr was very likely to gain possession with the ability to create an obvious goalscoring opportunity."

Marcos Senesi (right) should have been sent off against Palace, after Junior Kroupi had scored a brace. (Image: Keith Gillard)

While those two decisions went the way of the Cherries, two did not.

The first came when West Ham visited the Vitality Stadium, and with Bournemouth trailing 2-0, Bournemouth were awarded a penalty when Max Kliman went to ground and swept the ball away from Evanilson with his hand.

He was booked by Thomas Bramall, and Michael Oliver in the VAR seat agreed.

But the panel were unanimous in saying that that was the wrong call by referee Bramall and he should have been sent off, and voted 4-1 in favour of it being a mistake from the VAR.

It said: “There is clear evidence that Kilman makes an additional movement with his arm to swipe the ball and in doing so this denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity."

Marcus Tavernier scored from the penalty spot (Image: Richard Crease)

Finally, the Cherries should have been given a penalty which could have seen them break their run without a win at Chelsea.

Drawing 2-2 with the Blues, a Marcus Tavernier cross sought David Brooks and it hit Malo Gusto on his outstretched arm as he jumped to head it.

No spot kick was awarded, and VAR Craig Pawson ruled that it had hit Gusto too high on the arm to be a penalty.

But the panel voted 4-1 in favour of this being the wrong call by the ref, and then 3-2 in favour of it being a mistake by the VAR for not intervening.

The panel said: “The panel felt that the ball hit the 'red zone' of his arm that was raised in an unjustifiable position."

The Cherries are one of three clubs to have suffered two VAR errors, along with Brentford and Manchester United, while they are one of two to have gained from two errors, along with Newcastle, while Chelsea have gained from three.