Michael Owen offers verdict on VAR following controversy in Leeds United’s 4-2 victory vs Wolves

Michael Owen believes Wolverhampton Wanderers can have no complaints over the decision to send off Jonny Otto in Leeds United‘s 4-2 win at Molineux.

According to Beren Cross, Wolves’ manager Julen Lopetegui intends to challenge the red card shown to the full-back for his foul on Ayling, stating that a yellow was justified.

Lopetegui says Wolves will appeal both of their red cards. Says the linesman bumped into Nunes, not the other way around, and Jonny's tackle on Ayling justified a yellow. #lufc

— Beren Cross (@BerenCross) March 18, 2023

The Spaniard was initially shown a yellow, with the game in the balance at 3-2, but VAR asked Michael Salisbury to review the decision, and he subsequently upgraded the card to a sending off.

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Did Jonny deserve a red card in Wolves v Leeds?

Michael Owen believes that the decision was a perfect use of the technology, speaking on Premier League Productions’ MatchDay Extra, he said: “Certainly VAR was working perfectly, in terms of changing from a yellow to a red card.”

Owen believes that the other major decision of the game was also called correctly, despite it being a more difficult one to get right. Rodrigo’s goal was reviewed due to a potential foul in the build up.

Owen added: “I think there will be debate about the foul, for the fourth goal. There is definitely a shirt pull. Whether or not it’s enough – the referee has gone to the screen, he has been able to see the shirt pull, but he has probably thought ‘you know what? It’s not enough’.

Owen agreed with the decision, he continued: “I have got no huge problem with that.”

The decision to send off Jonny Otto was the correct one in the end and Owen is right that it was the ideal and perfect usage of VAR, which still causes frustration for many fans.

Leeds perhaps got the rub of the green for the fourth goal decision, but it was marginal. Owen alludes to that fact by saying he had no problem; it could have gone either way in truth.

Three crucial points was all that mattered heading into the international break. The landscape at the bottom looks much healthier and psychologically that can take the Whites far. The VAR decisions may have aided Leeds but every side deserves some luck now and again.