The Carabao Cup quarter-finals kicked off on Tuesday night, an exciting stage of the competition, but video assistant referee (VAR) technology to review crucial decisions was noticeably absent.

Chelsea-Newcastle United had a series of questionable decisions that would have been referred to VAR if the match had been played in the Premier League. There will also be no VAR during tonight’s match between Liverpool and West Ham at Anfield. Why

This absence, however, has been constant throughout the competition and will only be introduced in the semi-final stage.

The decision to exclude VAR from the Carabao Cup was a deliberate move by the English Football League (EFL) to ensure a level playing field for all participating teams. To maintain fairness, the EFL opted for a format where clubs play a mix of home and away games, which led to the temporary abandonment of VAR in the previous rounds.

The introduction of VAR will be reserved for the two-legged semi-finals and the final at Wembley, with an interesting arrangement for EFL teams that do not have VAR in their stadiums.

If said team advances to a later stage, the technology will be temporarily installed in their stadium to meet VAR requirements. As for the quarter-finals, three of the four games were played in Premier League stadiums, with only the clash between Port Vale and Middlesbrough taking place in a non-Premier League stadium. Everton faced Fulham at Goodison Park, while Chelsea faced Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

The absence of VAR was deeply felt, especially at Stamford Bridge, where Moisés Caicedo’s initial attack on Anthony Gordon sparked controversy. Despite the yellow card, many suggested that the tackle deserved a red card, much to the disappointment of the fans.

Similarly, the absence of VAR was felt in Arsenal’s match against West Ham the previous day, with the Hammers taking the lead in the first half thanks to a Ben White own goal from a corner, but doubts were raised about a possible foul on goalkeeper Arão. Ramsdale. in preparation However, VAR cannot be used to overturn a decision as it is not used.

Interestingly, the EFL’s decision not to use VAR in the Carabao Cup is consistent with its approach to the lower divisions, where not all stadiums can accommodate this technology. In leagues lower than the Premier League, VAR is not used during regular matches.

As the quarter-finals unfolded with dramatic penalty shoot-outs and convincing victories, the absence of VAR sparked debate about its potential impact on key decisions.

With the semi-finals approaching and the prospect of the return of VAR, football enthusiasts are wondering how the introduction of technology could influence the fate of teams in the latter stages of the Carabao Cup. As Liverpool and West Ham prepare for a crucial clash that will decide which team will last to secure a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, the football community is holding its breath in the hope that the match will go ahead without the need for VAR intervention. .