From ESPN
Everton 2-3 Brentford
Possible penalty: Foul by Ajer on Richarlison
What happened: Everton were 1-0 up when Kristoffer Ajer grabbed the shirt of Richarlison inside the area. Referee Michael Oliver allowed play to continue, and directly from that, Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite was sent off for bringing down Ivan Toney when he was through on goal.
VAR decision: The VAR, Darren England, advised the referee there was no clear and obvious error not to award a penalty. Also, it was decided there was no mistake in showing the red card to Branthwaite for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO).
VAR review: Taken in isolation, it's doubtful that the Richarlison incident would have been talked about quite so much. That it led directly to a red card for another Everton player brings it into sharper focus.
It's important to understand the VAR protocol, how and why decisions are made. When the incident happens, the VAR will begin a check immediately, and he will ask Oliver to describe what he has seen. Oliver told the VAR that he felt there was holding by both players (though obviously to a greater degree by Ajer), and for that reason there was no foul. If the VAR believes this description fits the replays, he will not advise the referee he has made a mistake.
The mere act of holding or pulling a shirt is not an offence; holding only occurs when a player's contact with an opponent's body or equipment impedes movement.
The still images of the shirt pull are far more damning than the video evidence, as the latter suggests the holding was not prolonged or that it greatly impacted Richarlison. It means that if the referee has seen the holding, it's highly unlikely the VAR will get involved to advise a penalty; at the same time, if Oliver had given a penalty it wouldn't have been overturned.
In the Premier League, which has a high threshold for interventions, it was decided that the referee had not made a clear error -- but many will disagree and believe the VAR should have intervened.
If the VAR had advised there should be a penalty to Everton, then the red card to Branthwaite would have been cancelled. It means Everton could have been 2-0 up with 11 men, rather than 1-0 up with 10.
As for the red card to Branthwaite, the VAR checked that the dismissal was correct but it was never going to get overturned. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old, that he didn't mean to foul Ivan Toney doesn't matter where a red card for DOGSO is concerned. As with the red shown to Arsenal's David Luiz at Wolves last season, even incidental contact that denies a clear goal-scoring chance will result in a dismissal.
