From VAR to sale sagas: The biggest Premier League talking points in 2023

Here we'll revisit the controversies, conundrums, and captivating narratives that defined the Premier League in 2023.

Manchester United's sale saga

Manchester United's ownership saga wasn't just a footnote in 2023; it was a roaring chorus playing alongside every match at home and away.

The year began with ever-loud #GlazersOut protests echoing through Old Trafford, fueled by years of underperformance and the family's seemingly immovable grip on the club. Yet, performances on the pitch improved somewhat under Erik ten Hag towards the end of the 2022/23 season.

The 2023/24 campaign has drifted back into a loose debacle once more though, not helped by failed bidding wars and the Glazers putting off prospective buyers with over-inflated valuations of the club.

One devoted buyer has remained though, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's emergence on the scene sending shimmers of hope amongst the fanbase.

While unsuccessful in a bid for a complete takeover, his INEOS group is pushing through a 25 per cent stake in the club - likely to be completed in early 2024 - that will prize away key decision-making powers from the Glazers, allowing fans of the Red Devils a bit of space to dream of becoming a competitive force on the pitch and in the market once more after a decade in the doldrums.

Toney, Tonali and gambling problems

Brentford's talisman Ivan Toney and Newcastle's big summer signing Sandro Tonali became embroiled in gambling scandals, casting a dark cloud over the beautiful game.

Both players received lengthy bans from football after being found guilty of betting on matches, the former for eight months after admitting 232 breaches of the Football Association's betting rules, while 23-year-old Tonali was banned from football for 10 months over breaches of rules on betting on matches in Italy whilst at AC Milan.

It raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the influence of the industry not just on fans but on players as well.

With calls for stricter regulations rising - as well as a shirt sponsor ban coming in the next few years - 2023 served as a stark reminder of the need to safeguard the integrity of the sport from the allure and pitfalls of gambling.

Is VAR going too far?

The Video Assistant Referee, once hailed as a revolutionary tool, faced even more intense scrutiny in 2023.

Controversial offside calls, penalty decisions reversed (or not), and seemingly endless goal reviews left fans and pundits alike questioning the system's effectiveness.

It seems no gameweek can go by without harsh criticism from a Premier League manager. This season alone has seen the likes of Wolves on the receiving end of a few bad calls, with manager Gary O'Neil saying he has been "turned against" VAR, claiming that bad decisions are impacting upon "people’s livelihoods" in the wake of a string of decisive poor calls against Fulham and Liverpool.

Arsenal's Mikel Arteta risked the wrath of the FA with a scathing attack on the officials after three separate incidents in the lead-up to the decisive goal were dismissed in his side's defeat to Newcastle in November.

Speaking after the match, Arteta went all in with his comments, stating: "It is embarrassing, it's an absolute disgrace, that's what it is, a disgrace. There's so much at stake, we've put in so many hours to compete at the highest level and you cannot imagine the amount of messages we've had saying this cannot continue."

There was also the unbelievable error made for Luis Diaz's disallowed goal between Liverpool and Tottenham in September, after which PGMOL were forced to reveal the audio tapes of the cataclysmic miscommunication between officials, with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp even calling for a replay of the match.

As VAR evolves, finding the right balance between fair officiating and a smooth-flowing game remains a crucial challenge for 2024 and beyond.

Erling Haaland's hunger for records

Erling Haaland's arrival at Manchester City rewrote the definition of prolific. From breathtaking volleys to gravity-defying finishes, the Norwegian sensation broke record after record, terrorising defences and mesmerising fans.

The Yorkshire Viking broke the record for most goals in a single Premier League season in his debut campaign for Manchester City - scoring 36 goals in his 35 appearances - comfortably beating Andy Cole and Alan Shearer (who both set the record in 42-game campaigns).

He also became the quickest player to 50 Premier League goals, taking just 48 matches to hit the half-century.

Haaland won a treble in his first season and will likely be aiming to break his own individual records for the foreseeable future, such was the shatteringly effectiveness of his debut campaign in England.

Everton, Manchester City and points deductions

Last but absolutely not least, 2023 was the year Financial Fair Play (FFP) got serious in the big-money but murky depths of the Premier League.

Everton received an unprecedented 10-point deduction following an investigation into breaches of FFP rules.

The Toffees were referred to an independent commission in March for an alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules in the period ending in the 2021/22 season.

The deduction is the biggest in the competition's history and dropped the club into the relegation zone at the time.

Everton released a statement saying they were "shocked and disappointed" by what they called an "unjust" ruling by the Premier League and are now appealing the decision.

Meanwhile, Manchester City's champagne football under Pep Guardiola was threatened by a storm brewing off the pitch - an investigation into their own alleged breaches of FFP regulations. The potential consequence? Points deductions, a sanction that could derail their future title ambitions and possibly even the stripping of their previous achievements.

Guardiola has called for a swift resolution, which shows no signs of materialising. They have been charged with breaking financial fair play rules around 100 times over a nine-year period, which starts in 2009 and goes on until 2018, allegedly failing to provide accurate financial information.

They won the Premier League three times during that period.

The juxtaposition between the cases of Everton and City has brought the ire of fan groups across the land but particularly (and understandably) with the Toffees, with many onlookers accusing the establishment of displaying an imbalanced and unfair approach to the two similar cases, simply because one is a European superpower.