KMI Panel rule Sunderland penalty vs Arsenal and Haaland derby goal as VAR errors
A Premier League review panel has ruled that Sunderland should not have been awarded a penalty against Arsenal, although VAR was judged right not to overturn the referee’s decision.
A Premier League Key Match Incidents panel has ruled that Sunderland were incorrectly awarded a penalty during their 2-0 defeat by Arsenal, providing fresh confirmation that referee John Brooks made the wrong call in the controversial incident.
The decision came after Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa was penalised for his tussle with Sunderland centre-back Dan Ballard during a set-piece at the Stadium of Light on September 12.
Enzo Le Fée subsequently stepped up from the spot, but Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya produced an excellent save to keep out the penalty before the visitors went on to secure victory.
The five-member panel unanimously concluded that the penalty should not have been awarded, noting that although Konsa initially had his arms around Ballard, the Sunderland defender also engaged in a holding action which contributed to the pair going to ground.
However, the panel reached a different conclusion when assessing the VAR decision, with three members backing Stuart Attwell’s decision not to recommend an on-field review and two voting against it.
The majority believed the referee’s error did not reach the Premier League’s threshold for a clear and obvious mistake requiring VAR intervention. The verdict comes after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta strongly criticised the original decision and demanded an explanation from Pro Ref.
The panel’s review also examined the controversial Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City, unanimously concluding that Erling Haaland’s winning goal should have been disallowed because City team-mate Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position and interfered with opponents.
The panel also backed Phil Foden’s red card for kicking Bruno Fernandes, although it believed the United midfielder should have received a yellow card for his involvement in the confrontation.
