VAR bitterness and defensive potential

It would be tempting to devote the entire week to refereeing decisions and VAR in the Premier League. In the past months, it has been unclear what constitutes a handball under modern rules week to week, what is a foul in the box compared with the rest of the pitch, or, in Crystal Palace's case this week, the threshold for a goalscoring opportunity worthy of a red card.

Needless to say, there is a level of bitterness towards the decision-making at Old Trafford on Sunday, but alas, Oliver Glasner's team is now left without Maxence Lacroix for Thursday's encounter with Tottenham Hotspur, making Chris Richards the lone senior centre-back available.

There was a level of risk in selling Marc Guehi in January without an experienced replacement, even for the remainder of the season on loan. However, that situation has forced the team to use both Jaydee Canvot and the returning Chadi Riad in high-pressure games.

With both players gaining minutes for the remainder of this campaign, they would have otherwise lacked, it will allow the club to assess their potential to be in a starting role for the 2026-27 season. Both players have already amassed over 300 minutes in the six weeks since Guehi left the club.

As football prices have inflated over the past four or five years, the cost of Guehi in 2021 is similar to that of Canvot in 2025, meaning Palace are signing a player with far less senior experience. Guehi arrived with over 5,000 minutes at Swansea City, compared to Canvot's 1,300 minutes for Toulouse, which comes with growing pains.

The French youngster has excelled with his ground tackling and willingness to deal with physicality in that area, but has struggled aerially – understandable for a player thrown into Europe's toughest league as a teenager.

For now, fans will need to be patient if the dividends will be further down the road.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast