It’s generally accepted that VAR hasn’t helped football, while one of the common complaints is that it completely kills the atmosphere at games.
While that may be true most of the time, we were treated to an absolutely incredible moment in the closing minutes of the FA Cup final today.
Chelsea thought they had equalised so they had a full celebration with the fans, but it then got tense as the VAR check started to take place.
That elation was instantly transferred to the Leicester City fans, and the moment when they realised the goal didn’t stand was celebrated like another goal and the scenes were incredible to see:
Ben Chilwell puts the ball in the net for the Blues but it's been disallowed by VAR! #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/QtOnmCGEyo
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 15, 2021
The guy with his hands in his head will likely become a meme and it will surely be an iconic image from this final, but the overwhelming takeaway from the whole game is how much better football is when fans are in the ground.