Premier League Match Round 5 - Key Match Incidents Panel outcomes

The Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel provides an independent assessment of key decisions in every Premier League match.

During the 2026/27 season, the Premier League is publishing the results of the KMI Panel weekly on its website and app, providing transparency around the evaluation of decisions made by Match Officials.

Across Match Round 5, there were 17 Referee KMIs, with the panel deeming 88 per cent of on-field decisions to be correct.

There were five VAR overturns, all of which the panel concluded were correct interventions.

Across the 2026/27 season to date, there have been 96 Referee KMIs, with the panel deeming 89 per cent of on-field decisions to be correct. This compares with 85 per cent at the same stage last season. Following VAR intervention, 98 per cent of decisions this season have been deemed correct.

Selected topics, incidents and outcomes from the KMI Panel are highlighted below, with the full Match Round 5 report linked at the bottom of this article.

Incident: KMI Goal awarded. Brennan Johnson in an offside position – not interfering with an opponent (58 min)

On-field decision outcome: Incorrect – offside offence by Johnson (2 votes for; 3 votes against)

VAR intervention outcome: Correct – clear and obvious error (3:2)

KMI Panel: The VAR intervention to disallow the goal for interfering with an opponent by Johnson was supported, 3:2. Johnson was clearly in an offside position, in very close proximity to the goalkeeper and makes a movement, impacting the goalkeeper’s ability to set and move to the ball. Two panellists felt that Johnson’s position and actions did not impact goalkeeper Walton.

What are the considerations for an offside offence when interfering with an opponent?

What if the goalkeeper isn’t going to make the save?

The offside law does not require the Referee or VAR to determine that the goalkeeper would definitely have saved the shot, only that their ability to play the ball has been impacted. In this instance, Johnson's movement and proximity to Walton constitute an offside offence because it affects the goalkeeper’s ability to attempt to play the ball.

More information on offside can be found on page 78 of the Premier League and Pro Ref Competition Guidance Handbook.

Incident: KMI Goal awarded. Challenge by Igor Jesus on Caleb Yirenkyi (86 min)

On-field decision outcome: Incorrect – foul by Jesus (1:4)

VAR intervention outcome: Correct – clear and obvious error (4:1)

KMI Panel: The VAR intervention to disallow the goal for a foul by Jesus was supported, 4:1. The attacker carelessly stepped on the heel of Yirenkyi which was impactful in the lead up to the goal.

How do officials assess physical contact?

In the Premier League, Referees maintain a high threshold for penalising physical challenges. Contact is an accepted part of football, and not all contact constitutes a foul, while player safety remains a key consideration.

In situations such as this, officials will consider the level of contact and its impact, the actions of both the defender and attacker, and the need to protect player safety when making their decision.

For more information on the decision-making principles, please see page 58 of the Premier League and Pro Ref Competition Guidance Handbook.

Education: New Laws of the Game

Ahead of the 2026/27 season, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the organisation that oversees the Laws of the Game, introduced several new mandatory rules.

Injured players who leave the field

When play is stopped for an injury, the affected player is required to leave the field of play for at least one minute before returning (an increase from the 30-second period used by the Premier League in previous seasons).

Goalkeeper tactical timeouts

A trial in English football is being conducted during the 2026/27 season whereby, if play is stopped for a goalkeeper injury, the manager or head coach must nominate an outfield player to leave the field immediately.

The nominated player must remain off the field for at least one minute after play restarts.

The only exceptions are when:

- A free-kick is awarded for a foul on the goalkeeper and they immediately require treatment

- The goalkeeper and an outfield player collide, and both require medical attention

- The goalkeeper is bleeding

We saw both of these new provisions during Tottenham Hotspur's Match Round 5 fixture against Aston Villa.

When Aston Villa opened the scoring in the first half, Micky van de Ven was off the field after requiring treatment following an aerial challenge with Tyrone Mings.

In the second half, Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky required immediate treatment following a collision with Nicholas Jackson. As this scenario falls within one of the trial’s exceptions, Kinsky was permitted to remain on the field, and the head coach was not required to nominate an outfield player to leave.

Click here to watch the most recent Premier League Ref Cam video, from this match, in which Sam Barrott explains the new laws.

You can read our FAQ on the KMI Panel, which explains what the panel is, how it operates and what the results mean.

Full KMI Panel Decisons for Match Round 5 (Download PDF, 211KB)