Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has criticized referees for becoming overly dependent on Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology following a string of significant officiating errors during his side's FA Cup victory against Aston Villa. Howe cited three major mistakes: referee Chris Kavanagh failing to award a penalty for a clear handball by Lucas Digne inside the area, overlooking Digne's potential red card for a shin-high tackle, and incorrectly allowing Tammy Abraham's goal despite the striker being offside. These errors, occurring in VAR's absence, led to a chaotic performance at Villa Park where Newcastle overcame 10 men.

Howe expressed being 'torn' on VAR, arguing it can make referees' decision-making less sharp when they rely on it for every call. He stated, 'I think there's an argument to say that, because when VAR is there, there's always a, 'Well, I won't give that, but let's check it,' so maybe your decision-making isn't as sharp as it may normally have to be.' However, he acknowledged VAR's value in securing correct decisions, like the sending off of Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot for a wild challenge. Villa manager Unai Emery also backed VAR's necessity, stating it makes sense and is 'necessary to help the referees' after VAR denied Villa a goal in a Premier League match.

The incidents highlight ongoing debate about VAR's impact on the game's flow and refereeing standards.