Bournemouth came closer to a Champions League place than most fans realise — and VAR, more than any other factor, may have been the difference. A detailed assessment by BBC Sport of video assistant referee interventions across the Premier League season reveals the south-coast club were left four points worse off by VAR decisions, enough to have finished above Liverpool and secured a spot in Europe's premier club competition.

Bournemouth's costly disallowances

Two specific VAR calls hit Andoni Iraola's side hardest. A goal was ruled out for offside during a 0-0 draw with Chelsea, and an Evanilson effort was disallowed against Leeds United — at a moment when Bournemouth led 2-1, a match that finished 2-2. Had those four points been retained, Bournemouth would have ended the campaign on 61 points, one ahead of Liverpool's final tally and in the last Champions League position.

Instead, Bournemouth enter European football for the first time next season through the Europa League — a historic achievement, though one that carries a tinge of what might have been. Liverpool, who benefited from Manchester City's equaliser at Bournemouth in midweek to remain ahead going into the final day, held on to fifth place.

The title race had a VAR dimension too

Arsenal won the Premier League title by seven points, but BBC Sport's analysis suggests four of those points came via VAR interventions — specifically in the Gunners' wins at West Ham United and Everton, both of which could have ended as draws without the technology. Strip those points away and Arsenal and Manchester City would have entered the final day level on 78 points, with Guardiola's side leading on goal difference.

As it stood, the title was effectively settled before that final Sunday, with City's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in midweek sealing Arsenal's championship. Without those VAR-assisted points, the final day would have carried far greater weight — rather than serving largely as a farewell to Bernardo Silva, John Stones, and manager Pep Guardiola.

Chelsea the biggest net beneficiary

Across the full season, Chelsea accumulated the highest net VAR score of any club at +6 decisions, though at one point that figure stood at +9. The Blues received 11 VAR interventions in their favour — two more than Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Manchester United. In terms of goals, Chelsea led all clubs with a net goal score of +7, aided in part by six opposition goals disallowed through VAR.

Brentford were the biggest points beneficiaries across the division, gaining five points through VAR. Three of those came from a pair of interventions that contributed to a 4-3 win over Burnley, while a disallowed Aston Villa goal helped secure a 1-0 victory. Without those gains, Brentford — who finished ninth — would have dropped to 13th. Manchester United and Arsenal each gained four points.

Everton's wretched record

At the opposite end, Everton endured the season's most lopsided VAR experience. They finished with a net score of -5 and became the first club in all seven seasons of VAR's use in English football not to receive a single decision in their favour. They were also the only side not to be awarded a penalty all season — a fact made more bitter by the key match incidents panel's subsequent ruling that they should have been given spot-kicks in matches against Arsenal, West Ham United, and Manchester City.

Bournemouth, Brighton, and Everton each ended the season with a net goal score of -4, the worst in the division.

Tottenham and the alternative table

Tottenham Hotspur were among the clubs most damaged by VAR, also finishing four points worse off. Three result-changing calls went against them in matches against Liverpool, Sunderland, and Leeds United. In a hypothetical table removing VAR's impact, Spurs would have finished 15th, with Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace edging closer to the relegation zone.

Despite all the controversy the technology generates, BBC Sport's data shows fewer VAR interventions this season than in any previous Premier League campaign. The number of disallowed goals fell to 43, just above the all-time low of 42 recorded in 2020-21. Yet for Bournemouth fans, the numbers tell a story that no statistic can fully soothe.