United News of Bangladesh

The ongoing debate over the use of video assistant referees (VAR) in English football has intensified following several controversial decisions during the FA Cup fourth round and Premier League matches. VAR, introduced to ensure accuracy in refereeing, was absent in the FA Cup until the fifth round this season, giving fans a glimpse of matches without technological interruptions. The weekend’s games, however, saw multiple contentious moments, including offside goals allowed and a penalty not awarded at Aston Villa, reigniting debate over the system’s impact on the sport. Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy said football might be better without VAR, arguing that it disrupts the game’s flow and delays decisions. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the tension, noting that while VAR improves decision accuracy, it can reduce the excitement for players and spectators. Aston Villa’s Unai Emery described the system as "necessary" to support referees. At Anfield, Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brighton featured further VAR controversy, with a young substitute’s goal ruled offside and a penalty awarded to Mohamed Salah sparking debate. Liverpool manager Arne Slot said VAR should be limited to clear-cut decisions, while Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola noted its benefits but remained uncertain on whether it improves the game overall. Ex-players and former referees offered mixed views on officials’ reliance on VAR. Alan Shearer criticized referees for depending on the technology, while Shay Given and Graham Scott highlighted its role as a “comfort blanket” that aids decision-making. Fans remain divided, with some claiming VAR has ruined football’s spontaneity, while others insist it is essential to ensure fair play and correct errors. The debate is expected to continue as English football navigates the balance between accurate officiating and maintaining the game’s traditional flow.   With inputs from BBC

Marcus Rashford scored his fifth goal in as many matches after creating two others to help Manchester United beat Everton 3-1 and reach the fourth round of the FA Cup Friday. Rashford set up Antony's early opener and saw a second-half cross turned into his own net by Conor Coady, scorer of Everton's equaliser. Then, in stoppage time, Rashford kept his scoring run going by sending Jordan Pickford the wrong way from the penalty spot after Ben Godfrey fouled Alejandro Garnacho. United were hardly ruthless, grateful to see a potential Dominic Calvert-Lewin equaliser ruled out for a tight offside call. But United did enough to make it seven straight wins in all competitions for the first time since 2019 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in caretaker charge. Read more: Chelsea beats Leicester to go 3rd in PL, avenges FA Cup loss For Everton, there was consolation in a better performance after losing to Brighton 4-1 midweek left them 18th in the Premier League, the pressure firmly on manager Frank Lampard. Erik ten Hag named a strong side for his first taste of the FA Cup but notably selected Luke Shaw at centre-back while Lisandro Martinez – without a start since Argentina's World Cup group match against Mexico on November 26 – joined Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof on the bench. After the horror show of Tuesday night, Lampard reverted to the 3-5-2 system used to frustrate Manchester City last weekend. Read more: Liverpool vs Chelsea 2022: Who is the favourite to win the FA Cup? The 9,000 travelling Everton fans arrived in Manchester still fuming over the latest capitulation, the first chant of "Sack the board" coming 15 minutes before kickoff. Their mood did not improve much.

Last season’s FA Cup winner Arsenal was eliminated from the competition in the fourth round on Saturday thanks to Gabriel’s own-goal in a 1-0 loss to Southampton, while Manchester City survived a scare to beat fourth-tier Cheltenham 3-1.

Liverpool was eliminated from the FA Cup on Tuesday in a 2-0 loss to Chelsea as a run of poor results continued for Jürgen Klopp's team.