Match report for Liverpool vs. Bournemouth

depth match report for Liverpool vs. Bournemouth, the Premier League season opener at Anfield on Friday, August 15, 2025: Overview of the Match Final Score: Bournemouth 2-2 Liverpool Date: August 15, 2025, Friday Competition: Premier League, first game of the season Context of Emotion For Liverpool, the evening was incredibly poignant as players and supporters honored Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who passed away in a car accident in July. The stadium was filled with the sound of "You'll Never Walk Alone," a moment of quiet, and a moving tifo reading of "DJ20" prior to kickoff. In memory, players donned black armbands. Arne Slot called the tributes "so impressive and powerful."

37' – Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike Ekitike opened the score with a calm finish on his Premier League debut following his significant summer transfer. Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) at 49' Gakpo capitalized on a play made by Ekitike to give Liverpool their second goal early in the second half. Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) at 64' The winger for Bournemouth pulled one back in response with a goal. After Semenyo reported racist taunts from the audience, there was a brief halt. Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) at 76'

With a spectacular 70-yard solo run, Semenyo tied the score. Federico Chiesa of Liverpool, 88' Chiesa's incredible late volley gave Liverpool the lead again and was his first Premier League goal. 90+4': Liverpool's Mohamed Salah Salah's signature stoppage-time goal completed the thrilling triumph.

Important Points & Analysis of the Debut Impact In his debut Premier League appearance, Hugo Ekitike was outstanding, not only scoring the opening goal but also setting up the second. Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong, the four summer acquisitions, all made their league debuts at Anfield. A Contentious Pause and a Racist Incident When Semenyo reported racist taunts from a fan in the 28th minute, the game was stopped. A police probe and the fan's expulsion resulted from this. Semenyo is receiving PFA support from Bournemouth, and Liverpool denounced the act.

Manager Remarks & Tactical Actions After the game, Arne Slot gave an explanation of the substitutions: Frimpong was substituted because of a hamstring issue; Kerkez was taken off the field to reduce risk following a yellow card; and Alexis Mac Allister and Ekitike weren't played the entire ninety minutes because of fitness concerns. Neil Mellor praised Chiesa's intelligent positioning: “He stays in the space and waits for the second ball,” calling it a “wonderful finish” Protective sways Jamie Carragher publicly blasted Liverpool's defense, calling it "absolutely shocking," and cautioned that if these problems are not fixed, they might cost them the championship. Bonus video

Biggest scandals in the English Premier League

 In its 22-year existence, the Premier League has witnessed some of the largest scandals and controversies. The league is the subject of every issue the international media can find, whether it is related to sexism, racism, or adultery. This elite English football league is well-known for both its elite clubs and players. It's also one of the leagues that gets the most international attention. While these controversies occasionally detract from the football game, they also serve as a source of diversion for onlookers. The top 5 EPL scandals of all time are listed in this article. 1. John Terry Racism John Terry faced consequences in 2012 as a result of his racist statements directed towards Anton Ferdinand. This damaged the player's reputation in addition to demonstrating the prejudice that pervaded the game. On November 1, 2011, after video surfaced of Terry mouthing the phrase "You f***ing black c**t" at Ferdinand during a game against Queens Park Rangers, the police opened an inquiry against him. 

 The player was accused of aggressive behavior, which included making disparaging remarks against the opposing player's race, ethnicity, or color. As a result, the center-back received a four-match suspension and a £220,000 fine—equivalent to a week's salary—for his actions. Even if racism was a huge issue in sports in nations like Ukraine and Russia, it wasn’t so extensively aired in England before this event. But Terry's bigoted comments demonstrated that more has to be done to prevent abuses like these that might harm the league. 2. Ring of match-fixing Former Southampton defender Claus Lundekvam said in 2012 that he, his teammates, and opponent captains would purposefully alter some aspects of the game in order to profit monetarily. Even though he made a solid living from this, the retired defender stated he wasn't proud of it.

Lundekvam said, "I made agreements with the opposition captain practically every week, wagering on who would have the ball, who would get a yellow card, who would start with a penalty, etc." The EPL is currently looking into this match-fixing problem, which may have an impact on both the league and sport globally. A global network was reportedly making money from European football match-fixing, according to recent reports. This is said to have helped Liverpool against Debrecen in the 2009 Champions League. This is still being looked at by Interpol, and the results might be surprising in the near future. 3. The Wayne Rooney incident It is said that in 2010, while Coleen, his spouse, was expecting their first child, Rooney had seven dates in four months with prostitute Jennifer Thompson. The English football media covered the incident furiously since Rooney was a well-liked player since his early adolescent years. 

 

Formerly regarded as one of England's greatest football players, Wayne Rooney was considered a national treasure. This event harmed the reputation of this Premier League star and shone light on the challenges that a few English players face in keeping their personal lives clean as their management demand. 4. Sexist statements made by Andy Gary and Richard Keys In recent years, gender opportunity and equal rights for women in football have been major debate subjects in the football world. Nevertheless, it appears that Andy Gray and Richard Keys oppose these rights. For almost two decades, Gary and Keys served as Sky Sports' primary football presenters and the unofficial faces of the Premier League. But in January 2011, things quickly altered. This occurred when the two were discussing their worries that a lineswoman would be engaged in an EPL match when someone overheard them off the radio. 

 An off-air recording of the two criticizing the choice to include Sian Massey, a woman, went viral. In the video, Keys also said, "The game's gone insane." She might not be familiar with the regulations, they advised. More of the two's misogynistic comments in the studio were soon captured on camera. Gray was dismissed and Keys resigned as a result. Undoubtedly, such antiquated perspectives have no place in the contemporary society. The two currently converse on talkSPORT radio. 5. The Ryan Giggs controversy With a reputation as an upright family guy, Giggs was well-liked on the list of esteemed football players in the English Premier League. However, this was prior to his February 2012 involvement in a sex scandal being public. This was the biggest sex scandal in Premier League history. People were aware that Giggs was involved in a covert affair after he was revealed on Twitter. The House of Parliament was informed about this incident and learned that Giggs had many relationships. 

The Welshman was found to have had an eight-year affair with Natasha Giggs, his brother's wife, and an extramarital affair with Imogen Thomas, a Big Brother participant and former Miss Wales. In addition to this, Giggs was a party to a contentious 2011 case involving super-injunctions, parliamentary privilege, and privacy. The Manchester United player has been concentrating more on the field than anything else since this incident. These therefore were a some of the issues that have surrounded the English Premier League in its brief existence. These scandals have everything in them, ranging from racist and sexist statements to sex scandals and match-fixing. And they aren't simply little disputes like a player getting wasted the night before a crucial Premier League match. They really are. 

 

The Champions League is back! What will happen to Premier League clubs?

 As the league phase begins today, find out what awaits Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Man City. 

 The top four Premier League teams from the previous season will face the top teams in Europe when the UEFA Champions League resumes TODAY. 

On Tuesday, Aston Villa and Liverpool are both playing. Villa, who are playing in the competition for the first time ever, go to Young Boys in Switzerland. Liverpool, the six-time champions, will play AC Milan, the seven-time winners of the competition, in Italy.

Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, will face Internazionale on Wednesday. Internazionale is the side they defeated in the 2022–2023 Champions League final.

Arsenal will play Atalanta away on Thursday. The Gunners are participating in the competition for the second time in their history after missing the first six seasons.

First round match (17–19 Sep)

Aston Villa vs. Young Boys (Tue Sep 17, 18:45 BST)
Liverpool vs. AC Milan on Tuesday, September 17, 20:00 BST
Internationale Milano vs. Manchester City (Wed., Sep. 18, 20:00 BST)
Arsenal vs. Atalanta (Thu, Sep 19, 20:00 BST)

Alex Keble examines the potential performance of the four English teams as they compete for European championships ahead of the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League season.

Guardiola hopes for a second victory in an uncertain future.

What motivates Manchester City these days? After winning the record-tying four English league titles in a row and the "mission completed" Treble two seasons prior, Pep Guardiola has openly acknowledged considering this subject.

The manager's future, which is still up in the air, may have an impact on this season's motivation. In light of the fact that he left Bayern Munich, the team he coached before, without a single UEFA Champions League winners' medal, Guardiola could view a single one if he were to go next summer.

Before he leaves, there's a good possibility City will give him another victory.  Their first Champions League victory in 2022–2023 came at the Etihad Stadium, when they crushed teams like Bayern Munich (3-0) and Real Madrid (4-0). A strange outcome last season prevented them from regaining their European title.

 

Man City, having drawn 3-3 in the second leg and having 33 shots to Real's eight, 18 corners to their one, and an Expected Goals (xG) of 2.74, lost to Real on penalties following a 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.

There's no reason they can't succeed in the bigger format at the Etihad again, especially with Ilkay Gundogan back to provide control in the central midfield. To help guarantee a top-eight finish, they should cruise through their home games against Inter, Sparta Prague, Feyenoord, and Club Brugge.

Granted, their four Champions League games are followed by four difficult Premier League games: Brighton & Hove Albion (A), Liverpool (A), and Arsenal twice. perhaps unstoppable.

They really should be making a serious run at the European championship. And they could just be unstoppable if we find out in the new year that it's Guardiola's final game.
Arsenal, with more experience, should aim for the semifinals.

After a seven-year hiatus, the Gunners' return to the Champions League last year was naturally tense.

Bayern Munich's 3-2 overall loss in the quarterfinals was not embarrassing. However, it is evident that Arsenal can still do better at this level after only winning one of their five away games, 2-1 against Sevilla, and barely defeating Porto on penalties in the second round.

They haven't benefited much from the draw, as their journeys to Girona, Inter, Atalanta, and Sporting all appear difficult.

Even worse, their chances of winning the Premier League crown may be hampered by the way the away games have gone. Travels to play Inter and Atalanta in Italy come before away matches against Man City and Chelsea, respectively, while the January home game against Man City follows a trip to Girona.

Arsenal is still more formidable now than it was at this time last year. At left back, where there have been issues in the past, Jurrien Timber has had an excellent start. Additionally, a stronger showing in the knockout stages should result from the last campaign's experience.

Nobody should be afraid of Arsenal. They are among the top three or four teams in the world thanks to Mikel Arteta's construction of a roster that is essentially equivalent to Man City's.  

The very least that can be expected is a semi-final appearance. 

Big nights are anticipated for Slot at Anfield.

six-time champions in competitions Liverpool and the Champions League have a unique bond, so Arne Slot will need to capitalize on the excitement of European evenings at Anfield if he wants to win over the fans.

The foundation of Jurgen Klopp's ambition was victories in the Champions League, which came to an end in 2018–19. However, although the German coach had previously advanced to the final with Borussia Dortmund, the new manager has far less tournament experience.

Slot played its first season in it in 2023–24, with Feyenoord finishing third in their group after winning at home against RB Leipzig and Celtic but losing the remaining four games.

Though they may be a touch rusty, the Liverpool players have more European experience than their manager had back then. Their most recent Champions League season, 2022–2023 saw them eliminated by Real Madrid in the second round.
During the league stage, the holders are one of the four teams who come to Anfield. Even if it's challenging, it's the exact type of draw that Slot would have desired—a chance to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor by defeating the most decorated club in the competition's history in a spectacular win.
Liverpool's goal is to win it, as always. However, as this is a year of change for Slot, more focus should be on re-qualifying for the Champions League the next year. With the lights on at Anfield, historic evenings might can wait.

European prowess Emery has Villa supporters fantasizing

As expected, Newcastle United struggled to adjust to the higher level and ended up bottom of their Champions League group last season, but their supporters weren't too upset about it. Paris will always be special to them, and they will always treasure their 4-1 Tyneside triumph over PSG.

The competition must thrill Aston Villa supporters in a similar way, and in fact, there is a lot of enthusiasm around the first-ever Champions League match at Villa Park on October 2, which ironically matches them up against Bayern Munich, the team they defeated in the 1982 European Cup final.

You have to pardon Villa supporters, though, for hoping for more than a single or two memorable performances in this year's tournament. Unai Emery has already worked miracles.

Emery led Arsenal to the final of the UEFA Europa League, won it again with Villarreal, and won it three times in a row with Sevilla. In his last season with the team, he also advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League with the latter.

Given that Villarreal has far fewer resources than Villa, one wonders how far Villa can go.

While Villa has a good chance of qualifying directly for the knockout stages because to their league-phase draw, inexperience might eventually stand in their way, just like it did for Newcastle.
Premier League and European matches for clubs

 

 

 

 

Match round 2 (1-2 Oct)

Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain (Tue 1 Oct, 20:00 BST)
Slovan Bratislava v Man City (Tue 1 Oct, 20:00 BST)
Liverpool v Bologna (Wed 2 Oct, 20:00 BST)
Aston Villa v Bayern Munich (Wed 2 Oct, 20:00 BST)

Match round 3 (22-23 Oct)

Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk (Tue 22 Oct, 20:00 BST)
Aston Villa v Bologna (Tue 22 Oct, 20:00 BST)
Man City v Sparta Praha (Wed 23 Oct, 20:00 BST)
RB Leipzig v Liverpool (Wed 23 Oct, 20:00 BST)

Match round 4 (5-6 Nov)

Liverpool v Bayer Leverkusen (Tue 5 Nov, 20:00 GMT)
Sporting CP v Man City (Tue 5 Nov, 20:00 GMT)
Club Brugge v Aston Villa (Wed 6 Nov, 17:45 GMT)
Inter Milan v Arsenal (Wed 6 Nov, 20:00 GMT)

Match round 5 (26-27 Nov)

Man City v Feyenoord (Tue 26 Nov, 20:00 GMT) 
Sporting CP v Arsenal (Tue 26 Nov, 20:00 GMT) 
Liverpool v Real Madrid (Wed 27 Nov, 20:00 GMT)
Aston Villa v Juventus  (Wed 27 Nov, 20:00 GMT)

Match round 6 (10-11 Dec)

Girona v Liverpool (Tue 10 Dec, 17:45 GMT)
RB Leipzig v Aston Villa (Tue 10 Dec, 20:00 GMT)
Juventus v Man City (Wed 11 Dec, 20:00 GMT)
Arsenal v Monaco (Wed 11 Dec, 20:00 GMT)

Match round 7 (21-22 Jan)

Monaco v Aston Villa (Tue 21 Jan, 17:45 GMT)
Liverpool v LOSC Lille (Tue 21 Jan, 20:00 GMT)
Paris Saint-Germain v Man City (Wed 22 Jan, 20:00 GMT)
Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb (Wed 22 Jan, 20:00 GMT)

Match round 8 (29 Jan)

PSV v Liverpool (Wed 29 Jan, 20:00 GMT)
Man City v Club Brugge (Wed 29 Jan, 20:00 GMT)
Aston Villa v Celtic (Wed 29 Jan, 20:00 GMT)
Girona v Arsenal (Wed 29 Jan, 20:00 GMT)

Knockout stage dates

Knockout round playoffs: 11-12 and 18-19 February 2025
Round of 16: 4-5 and 11-12 March 2025
Quarter-finals: 8-9 and 15-16 April 2025
Semi-finals: 29-30 April and 6-7 May 2025
Final: 31 May 2025, Munich

 

WHAT DOES THE WIVE OF A FOOTBALLER EARN? They will be COUNTING THE MONEY BY ACCOUNTS AND WALLETS as their husbands iron on the EURO!

 The national team players' earnings were the focus of the host nation's media on the eve of the European Championship in Germany, while on the island, the incomes of the players' spouses and girlfriends who received invitations to the competition from coach Gareth Southgate were tallied.

Education and training are not taken into account; instead, the quantity of Instagram followers and the possible revenue from each sponsored post on the platform are.

 

By far, reality actress Dani Dyer, the girlfriend of West Ham striker Jarrod Bowen, fits that description. With up to 3,800,000 followers on the well-known social network, the daughter of renowned English actor Danny Dyer (Football Factory, Real Football Factory (International), Mean Machine, etc.) may make up to £16,800 each sponsored post, according to the Daily Mail!

Actress and model Iris Lowe, who is purportedly the girlfriend of Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool, comes in second on the list. With 765,800 Instagram followers, she may make up to £5,000 every post.

 

Third on the list with 5,000 followers and £3,600 per post is Jude Bellingham's girlfriend, Laura Celia Walk, a model and influencer from the Netherlands. The spouses of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, Megan, with 113,000 Instagram followers and £1,200 for a sponsored post, and captain Harry Kane's wife, Kate, a fitness instructor, come next with £2,400 and 292,000 followers, respectively.

This is how the Top 10 appears:

1. Jerrod Bowen's girlfriend Dani Dyer, who has 3,800,000 Instagram followers and charges £16,800 for each sponsored post

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Celia (@lauraceliav)

 

4. Kate Kane, Harry Kane's wife, has 292,000 followers and £2,400.

5. Jordan Pickford's wife Megan Pickford has 113,000 followers and £1,200 in revenue.

6. Declan Rice's girlfriend, Lauren Fryer, has 96,200 followers and £1,000.

7. Luca Shaw's girlfriend Anushka Santos has 75,500 followers and £837 in revenue.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anouska Santos (@anouskasantos)

 

8. Annie May Kennedy, the girlfriend of Conor Gallagher, has 60,800 followers and earns £709

9. Kyle Walker's wife, Annie Kilner, has 55,000 followers and £620.

10. Tolami Benson, the girlfriend of Bukaya Saka, with 46,600 followers and £581

 

How a sixth-league team cheated on a person to get millions of euros

 It was only sold for forty thousand dollars six years ago. However, they did add a single, crucial item: percentages of the sales that followed. Let it be there just in case—you never know when something might happen to the bank. After six years, it won't trickle; instead, an amount they could never have predicted will flow. Maidenhead United will now receive 100 times more money than they did when they sold Max Kilman to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018 for free!

 

Ten or fifteen years ago, the English fifth division was essentially a semi-professional league. There were six or seven professional clubs, those demoted from League 2, but the majority of the league was made up of teams whose players barely trained twice a week and were forced to work outside of football because the club could not afford to pay big salaries.

That has altered during the past ten years. A growing number of clubs are transitioning to a full-time schedule, and the fifth league's wealth is increasing.

The proprietors of Hollywood as well as Wrexham, Notts County, Salford, Luton, and Stockport County before them all contributed significantly to the fifth tier's rise in popularity, viewership, and appeal to sponsors.

Comparatively, just one team (Oxford City) had fewer than 1,000 spectators per match during the previous season 2023–24, while three clubs had average attendances of over 5,000 and twelve over 2,000.

Just one squad had more than 5,000 players ten years ago, eight had more than 2,000, and even eight had fewer than 1,000.

The number of semi-professional clubs is another measure of how far this level of competitiveness has advanced. Wages, pay, and player quality have all surged. There were just three last season: Maidenhead, Wealdstone, and Dorking.

The latter has spent seven years as a member of the fifth league. Being among the league's worst teams, they are consistently the front-runners to be relegated.

But it's nothing new to them. They can easily take the strong person's head off and consistently outperform the bookmakers.

Since they are now millionaires, perhaps their situation will improve in the upcoming season!
The oldest stadium in England, with a history spanning over 150 years

Having been in existence for more than 150 years, Maidenhead United was created in 1970. Situated in southern England's Berkshire, the semi-professional club is only ten kilometres away from Windsor Castle.

They are among the fifteen teams that participated in the inaugural FA Cup season in 1871–1872, and they have never before participated in the Football League, meaning they have never finished higher than fifth.

Since 2017, they have been in the fifth division, and they will be in this company's eighth division for the upcoming season. Every season, they are typically a threat for relegation, but they consistently overcome the odds to make it through. As seen by their 14th-place performance in the previous season, they frequently knew how to swim in the calm middle of the table.

York Road stadium is what makes the Magpies famous. Constructed in 1871, it is among the oldest in England. The Football Association has recognised it as the oldest stadium in England that has been continuously utilised by the same team from its inception.

The first match between Maydehead and York Road took place on February 16, 1871.

Alan Devonshire, Maidenhead's coach, is another well-known figure. Devonshire is a legend at West Ham United. He appeared in more than 400 games while playing for them between 1976 and 1990. He was a member of the squad that defeated Arsenal 1 to 0 in the FA Cup final in 1980.

He is in his second term at Maidenhead currently. He served as their leader from 1996 to 2003 the last time, then he took over again in 2015. He was the Magpie bench warmer for more than 750 games.

Nobody enjoys playing Maidenhead, especially at their stadium, and for years this team has been taking down formidable opponents. Every time Maidenhead stole points away from the favourites, supporters would chant, "You've just been Devonshired," as Alan Devonshire enjoys playing against and frequently defeating the favourites.

For the favourites, away trips to Maidenhead are usually a nightmare and a banana peel. Only one of the top eight teams from the previous campaign was able to defeat Maidenhead with all three points; the formidable Wrexham was unable to win at York Road in two attempts, and neither were the other favourites. League 2 relegates are having particularly difficult times. Every time, Alan Devonshire imparts wisdom to them.

Seven years later, Maidenhead would be generating millions thanks to some cunning person!

Apart from the previously mentioned York Road and Alan Devonshire, Maidenhead has garnered attention recently for having produced one of the finest stoppers in the Premier League.

Max Kilman, a football player for Wolverhampton now, was a 42-game player for Maidenhead from 2015 to 2018.

As you are undoubtedly aware, Kilman started his career as a futsal player. He earned twenty appearances for the English futsal team in addition to playing for Maidenhead.

Scouts from Wolverhampton saw him six years ago, and for just £40,000, they brought him in. It's not a huge sum of money, even by fifth division standards, but the club had a shrewd employee who included a provision about percentages of future sales. Most likely, they were thinking, "Leave her alone, just in case."

Max Kilman had more room to play at Molyneux in 2020–21, and the following season he was promoted to the starting lineup. As he developed, he started to be associated with a transfer out of Wolverhampton.

Last summer, Napoli was brought up. The Italians' £30 million offer was turned down, and I can only image the Maidenhead residents' thoughts as they computed their potential earnings in the event of a successful move.

Kilman's contract includes a percentage-of-sales provision, which Maidenhead disclosed to supporters in April. The Englishman's agent, Peter Gryphon, expressed his optimism that Maidenhead would benefit greatly from a move by the middle of the summer.

Peter could have known anything at that point that nobody else did, as news of Wolverhampton and West Ham's agreement to sell Max Kilman for forty million pounds had already been leaked by English journalists Fabrizio Romano and others in the first few days of July!

Later on, it became known that Maidenhead had a 20% release clause, or £8 million, towards the transfer. However, Wolverhampton wasn't happy with that arrangement, and as a result, the terms were modified and the amount was ultimately lowered to 10%, according to English sources.

Once more, they claim Maidenhead will get an amount too large by fifth league rules. They will be four million pounds richer and millionaires when the trade is officially confirmed! When looking at it through the financial lens of this league, most teams find that 500–700 thousand pounds is adequate to get them through the season, and very few teams make four million pounds a year. 

Maidenhead will be able to continue operating normally for a few of years with that amount.

Alan Devonshire gave West Ham a lot, and West Ham has now done a lot to support his Maidenhead. Nothing will change in the strategy because everyone knows what sort of coach Alan is and the kind of squad he has been developing for years on a very tight budget. Even if the bookies have already lowered their odds of them getting promoted the next season, they will not allow the money go to their heads and rush into investing.

Maidenhead will not change; it will only get "heavier" by four million.

 

CUTTING AT THE "THEATRE OF DREAMS" Ten Haag is no longer with us!

 The fallen giant looks for his way out. Eric Ten Hague did not have it for him. The Dutchman gave the squad two championships during his time at "Old Trafford," both from English cups, although he was once again distant from the race for a more serious spot in the Premier League.

Ten Hague and Manchester United split as a result of this. A football guru from our area who played in his first Champions League final this season may be his successor.

It's easy to figure out—it's Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzić. Terzić is upset because "Millionaires" did not seem as well in the home championship as they did in the toughest European competition.

CHOICE UNSUCCESSFUL The British people decided against using VAR technology! And now for the epilogue.

 While some claim that it "destroyed" the enjoyment that comes with watching football games, others claim that there are many less referee errors now. In the debate about VAR technology, all sides are essentially correct.

 

It would be quite unusual if video technology were to stop being used in contentious circumstances, though, given the football community as a whole has grown accustomed to it. But on Wolverhampton's recommendation, the English Premier League's members decided just this during a meeting on Thursday.

Ultimately, though, the Wolves remained the minority—or, more accurately, the only ones—who supported the Island's return to factory football. Thus, following 20 clubs' votes, the final count was 19 in favour of keeping VAR in place and 1 against. 

This proposed transformation has been a catastrophic disaster for Wolverhampton. Recall that a two-thirds majority vote was required to overturn the decision, meaning that the Wolverhampton move needed the backing of at least 14 out of the 20 clubs. In the world's top league, which began utilising VAR in 2019, this is how the system is still in use.