On Thursday, Aston Villa and Burnley took part in a tense Premier League clash at Villa Park, where thousands of Leeds fans watched anxiously.
If Burnley had won, then Leeds would be left needing to beat Brentford on Sunday, and hope that Newcastle defeated the Clarets at Turf Moor.
Fortunately for Jesse Marsch, Burnley could only record a 1-1 draw, which means Leeds can afford to draw with the Bees if Newcastle beat Mike Jackson’s side.
However, Leeds will be counting their lucky stars after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) missed a huge moment in the 1-1 draw at Villa Park.
What’s the story?
Well, seconds before Emiliano Buendia netted an equaliser in the 48th minute, Matty Cash was seen to have taken a foul throw.
The Aston Villa No.2 was basically on the pitch when he threw the ball back in play, as one foot was noticeably over the line.
For some reason, VAR is unable to get involved in incidents such as this, as well as other moments like a wrongly awarded corner, for example.
Seeing as the Premier League enjoy nitpicking over every tiny detail when it comes to handball or the offside rule, it does seem strange that glaring mistakes like this are not addressed.
Burnley will be furious if Leeds survive
If Burnley suffer relegation by a single point tomorrow, you can be sure that those at Turf Moor will be furious about this incident.
Of course, hundreds of visible foul throws go unnoticed every season, although this one was so blatantly obvious that the officials simply couldn’t miss it.
In truth, Cash himself was probably surprised not to hear the whistle after throwing the ball.
If Leeds manage to avoid relegation tomorrow, those at Elland Road will be hugely grateful for that moment of incompetence from the officials on Thursday.
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