Video referee to be used in Carabao Cup semi-final | OneFootball

The English Football League (EFL) has confirmed that both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final tie between Chelsea and Arsenal will see the video assistant referee (VAR) used for the first time in EFL competition.

VAR will also be deployed in the final at Wembley Stadium on 25 February but will not feature in the other semi-final, to be contested by Manchester City and Bristol City.

Since 2016, VAR has been trialled in a number of leagues and competitions around the world with varying degrees of success.

It was used for the first time on English soil during the friendly match between England and Germany at Wembley last month and will also be utilised in a number of selected FA Cup third round matches in January.

If these trials go well, VAR could become a permanent feature in the Premier League as soon as next season.

In a similar way to the system deployed in sports such as cricket and tennis, VAR allows match officials to refer contentious incidents to a team of referees who are able to review footage in real time before coming to a decision.

In theory, the technology should bring greater fairness and transparency to the game but a recent study by the International FA Board (Ifab) revealed Bundesliga referees are referring to the VAR too often, causing long delays and disruptions to the flow of a match.

The EFL has also confirmed Manchester City will host Bristol City in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday 9 January at 19:45 GMT, while the first leg of Chelsea v Arsenal will take place at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 10 January at 20:00 GMT.

Manchester City will then travel to Ashton Gate for the second leg on 23 January at 19:45 GMT before Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates on Wednesday 24 January at 20:00 GMT.