Premier League VAR review: Did Man United's Martinez deserve a red card?
VAR often causes controversy, but how are decisions made?

Premier League VAR: What Happened
ESPN reported on Saturday, October 31, 2026 in a story involving Premier League VAR, Did Man United, Andy Davies. Here is how the report opens:
VAR often causes controversy, but how are decisions made? Our resident ref, Andy Davies, explains all.

Photos: ESPN
It is one of many Soccer stories we are following today, and 4 outlets are covering it. Below are the key takeaways, how the story is being reported across the sport, background on Major League Soccer and what to watch next.
Key Takeaways
- The story: Premier League VAR review: Did Man United's Martinez deserve a red card?
- Who’s involved: Premier League VAR, Did Man United, Andy Davies and Martinez
- League: Soccer
- First reported: Saturday, October 31, 2026 by ESPN
- Coverage: 4 outlets are covering it: ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports and BBC Sport
- Trending: No. 20 on the ForTheFans trending list right now
How Other Outlets Are Covering It
The same SOC story, as reported by 3 other outlets:
- Man United implode at Chelsea, and, make no mistake, they are in a Premier League relegation battleESPN Manchester United missed chances, saw Lisandro Martinez sent off and lost 2-0 to Chelsea. They will be battling against the drop, whoever the manager is.
- Celtic Braced For January Bids For 25-Year-Old With Man United & Tottenham Interested: Should O’Neill Refuse To Sell?Yahoo Sports Celtic’s attacking form has helped Martin O’Neill’s side stay competitive, but results have exposed their reliance on individual quality. A 7-1 win over Hearts brought goals, while the 2-2 draw ...
- Transfer rumors, news: Man United look to Fulham's Bassey to bolster defenseESPN Fulham captain Calvin Bassey has caught Man United's eye as the Red Devils weigh up strengthening their defense. Transfer Talk has the latest.
- Manchester United's players, not Michael Carrick, should shoulder the blame after embarrassing loss to ChelseaCBS Sports Senior players have complained about tactics and recruitment, but a self-inflicted collapse at Chelsea showed the squad only has itself to blame
- Carrick bemoans Man Utd defending in loss to ChelseaBBC Sport Manchester United manager Michael Carrick takes issue with his side's defending, particularly for the first goal they conceded in their 2-0 defeat by Chelsea in the Premier League.
- Rogers shines, 3/10 for sent-off Martinez - player ratings for Chelsea v Man UtdBBC Sport Player ratings as Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer score second-half goals in Chelsea's home win over Manchester United, who have Lisandro Martinez sent off.
Background: Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. MLS is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The league is headquartered in New York City.
Text from Wikipedia’s Major League Soccer article, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What’s Next for Premier League VAR
For fans following Premier League VAR, the next things to watch are the transfer news, lineups, standings and injury updates. Stories like this one tend to move quickly, so check back for follow-up reports and reaction as more outlets pick it up.
- Latest Soccer news today: every SOC headline as it breaks
- Live scores and schedules across every sport we cover
- More Premier League VAR news from around the web
- Around the Web: today’s top sports stories from every outlet
More Soccer News Today
Martinez's 'inexplicable' 83 seconds cost Man Utd and Carrick
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez condemned for costly red card in 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Defensive flaws threaten to derail Chelsea during Xabi Alonso's first season ahead of Liverpool showdown
Only relegation candidates are conceding at a worse rate than Chelsea's 1.71 goals per 90 minutes, and missing Emi Martinez and Cole Palmer at Anfield won't help
Suzuki's costly mistake as Villa draw with Fulham
Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki drops the ball into his own net as Fulham find a helping hand to earn a Premier League draw at Villa Park.
West Ham United Midfielder Clarifies His Future: Is His Deal Smart Promotion Insurance?
West Ham’s aim is clear, and that is to return to the Premier League. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side sit third in the Championship after 12 games and have scored 32 goals, but their stats remain a co...
Incredible bargain: Liverpool sign future best in the world for £2.6m
Liverpool have made a series of defensive signings in recent windows in order to safeguard the future of their backline. With Ibrahima Konate leaving on a free transfer - and Virgil van Dijk and Joe G...
AC Milan score three first-half goals to seal derby victory over Inter
Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira score in the first-half to help AC Milan to a 3-1 victory over city rivals Inter Milan in the first Milan derby of the season in Serie A.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened with Premier League VAR?
VAR often causes controversy, but how are decisions made? Our resident ref, Andy Davies, explains all. ESPN reported the story on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
Who reported this SOC story?
ESPN first reported it on Saturday, October 31, 2026. ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports and BBC Sport also covered it. ForTheFans summarizes it here with background and related Soccer news.
Where can I get the latest Soccer news today?
The ForTheFans Soccer page collects every SOC headline as it breaks, including transfer news, lineups and standings, with live scores on our scores page.
Summarized by ForTheFans from reporting by ESPN. Headlines, quoted text and photos belong to their publishers. How we report
Soccer Explainers From ForTheFans
Ronaldo Cleared to Return for Portugal After 30-Day Suspension for Walking Out
Ronaldo walked out of camp, apologized and asked to be punished. Portugal's federation gave him 30 days, and he is back in line for the November fixtures.
Ronaldo Beats Messi in Fan Vote for the Greatest Ballon d'Or of All Time
Fans picked Ronaldo's 2008 over Messi's 2012 in the all-time Ballon d'Or vote, adding another chapter to soccer's biggest debate.
Ballon d'Or 2026 Results: Harry Kane Wins, Putellas Claims Third Title
The ceremony itself came with a side of chaos: the official site briefly published winner articles for three different players hours before Kane was confirmed.





