Premier League Panel Calls Sunderland Penalty Wrong but Backs VAR Silence
The short version
- KMI panel ruled 5-0 that Sunderland's penalty vs. Arsenal should not have been awarded.
- A 3-2 majority supported the decision not to intervene via VAR.
- John Brooks awarded the penalty for holding by Ezri Konsa on Dan Ballard in the 54th minute.
- David Raya saved Enzo Le Fee's penalty; Arsenal won 2-0.
- Mikel Arteta criticized the officiating after the match.
The KMI panel ruled unanimously against the penalty given to Sunderland vs. Arsenal, yet a 3-2 majority said VAR was right not to intervene.
Sunderland's penalty against Arsenal this month was an incorrect call, according to the Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel, which nonetheless agreed that VAR should not have stepped in.
In the 54th minute, referee John Brooks awarded the spot kick after judging that Ezri Konsa held Dan Ballard. David Raya kept out Enzo Le Fee's attempt from the spot, and Arsenal went on to win 2-0.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was angry despite the result, describing the match as unprotected and telling BBC Match of the Day that Konsa had done nothing and that the opponent performed what he called a judo roll. He added that VAR and the available cameras carry a responsibility to protect the game.
All five panel members agreed the penalty should not have stood, while the vote against a VAR review split 3-2. The panel explained that while Konsa initially wrapped his arms around Ballard, Ballard's own holding pulled Konsa toward him and sent both players to the ground. The majority viewed the on-field decision as not a clear and obvious error given both players' actions.
The two rulings can appear at odds because they answer different questions: the penalty vote identifies the ideal outcome, while the VAR vote asks whether the referee's call could be defended based on what he saw and the replays available.
