Why is there no VAR for Tottenham vs Manchester United? Carabao Cup details explained

Manchester United’s Carabao Cup quarter final cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday afternoon will not have any assistance from VAR.

Rúben Amorim will take charge of his first domestic knockout fixture as Manchester United manager when his side face Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup on Thursday evening.

United head into the tie on the back of a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Manchester City, with Amad Diallo‘s late brilliance sealing victory at the Etihad.

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While Amorim’s priorities lie in the Premier League and Europa League, United must now turn their attention to a challenging midweek trip to North London against Ange Postecoglou’s inconsistent Tottenham side.

Despite their struggles this season, Spurs will take confidence from their commanding 5-0 triumph over Southampton at the weekend.

VAR decision explained

Despite the game being held at a Premier League ground, there will be no Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to aid John Brooks and his set of officials for the quarter-final.

The decision of whether or not to implement VAR during Carabao Cup ties falls within the jurisdiction of the EFL board.

It was decided last season that the technology would not be used for the initial rounds of the competition as it would be too complex and expensive to install at non-Premier League grounds, and non-Premier League officials, players, and club staff would not be used to the process.

Brooks has been chosen as the official for United’s away tie, while Simon Bennett and Daniel Robathan will be on the sidelines as his assistants. Gavin Ward will separate Amorim and Ange Postecoglou as the fourth official on Thursday.

Will VAR be used in the semi-finals?

It remains to be decided if VAR will be in play for the upcoming semi-finals. Last year, it was not, as one of the two ties took place at Championship club Middlesbrough’s home ground.

At the time, an EFL spokesperson said: “There will be no VAR used in the semi-finals because it was not possible for the technology to be used at Middlesbrough.” It was decided it was fairer to not use it in any of the four semi-final games as a result.

However, as all the remaining teams in the competition are Premier League sides, the current expectation is that VAR will be used from the semi-final onwards, although this has yet to be confirmed by the EFL.

The technology will be employed as the final will take place at Wembley Stadium on 16 March, 2025.

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