“What did VAR do? It couldn’t be a clearer penalty.”
This was the reaction from Leeds manager Daniel Farke after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland – but they may well have been the words of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
Like Farke, Iraola was stunned by the referees’ failure to spot what he – and many others – believed was a ‘clear and obvious’ penalty in Bournemouth’s 0-0 draw with Brentford.
Here we break down the main flashpoints on another difficult night for the officials – and the key reaction.
Have your say on the controversial decisions using our polls below…
Leeds 0-1 Sunderland
INCIDENT: In the first half of Leeds’ 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, Luke O’Nien grip Pascal Struijk at the neck in the box.
Judge Stuart Attwell did not seem to detect the incident in real time. Sky Sports news understand that the incident was looked at by VAR but it was deemed that no clear and obvious foul had taken place.
The Premier League Match Centre, which clarified the decision to award Sunderland a penalty for a handball by Ethan Ampadu in the second half, did not write anything about the reasoning behind this call on X.
REACTION:
Farkewho is not usually critical of the officials, believed that VAR was at fault for missing the incident.
“It’s not even a question,” the Leeds manager told me TNT Sports. “What did VAR do? It couldn’t be a clearer penalty.
“It is hard to understand how this is not being checked and not being revisited.
“I’m pretty sure Stuart [Attwell]such a quality referee, so experienced and so calm, if he had the chance to watch this back he would have said ‘all day long, this is a penalty’.
“I’m not sure what VAR is doing at this moment. No [I haven’t spoken to the ref]. It’s a scene for VAR, for the referee it’s hard to see. It depends on his position. If you watch the scene back, it couldn’t be clearer.”
Farke’s disbelief was shared by the former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson.
Covers the game further Soccer Specialsaid Dawson on the game: “Leeds should have had penalties. Pascal Struijk looks to get past Luke O’Nien and he just puts his arms around his neck.
“I can’t believe VAR hasn’t intervened.”
Former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford went a step further in his criticism. “I’m so amazed how the referee and the VAR officials didn’t give a penalty,” he said. TNT Sports. “It’s clear as day. With his arms around his neck, he drags him to the ground. How is that not a punishment? It’s utterly embarrassing.”
INCIDENT: VAR intervened in the second half to recommend an on-field review for a potential handball by Leeds captain Ampadu after Wilson Isidor’s shot bounced off his leg and body before hitting his arm.
Referee Attwell overturned his decision and awarded a spot kick. In his announcement to Elland Road, he said: “After review, Leeds’ [No.] 4 knowingly handles the ball in the penalty area. My final decision is penalty kicks.”
Sunderland almost scored from the penalty spot through Habib Diarra, whose spot-kick should have been saved by Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow. This was Sunderland’s only shot on target in the game.
REACTION:
Farke seemed to agree with the officials about this incident: “It was an instinctive reaction from my most important and best player,” he said. “Obviously not necessary and gave away a penalty.
“It wasn’t even a chance for them. The penalty was almost missed. How the ball went in is hard to explain. Sometimes football is like this. It’s hard to take.”
Dawson was more offended than Farke when he gave his immediate reaction to Soccer Special.
“I think it’s going to be very, very hard, I don’t know what he’s going to do with his arms. People are saying he’s moving his arms towards it. But all the Sunderland players, as soon as it happened, they immediately went to him.
“He doesn’t really make the motion; his arm moves forward, there might just be a little bit of motion. It comes off his body and then off his chest, and then it kind of rolls down the arm.”
At the time of writing, most have Sky Sports readers voted that it was the wrong decision.
Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
INCIDENT: During the 0-0 draw between Bournemouth and Brentford, a match which could prove decisive in the race for European football, Marcus Tavernier drove across Michael Kayode and was caught on the Achilles by the defender before sweeping his shot onto the post.
VAR match referee Darren England reviewed the incident but no penalty was awarded to Bournemouth. The Premier League Match Center did not comment on the incident.
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Brentford defender Michael Kayode narrowly missed conceding a penalty after he appeared to clip Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier moments before the midfielder had a shot on target.
REACTION:
Iraola criticized the decision, claiming referee Craig Pawson and VAR missed a “clear” penalty for his team.
“We had a big penalty decision that didn’t go away,” Iraola said. “The VAR checked and cleared it inside
five seconds.
“Tavs should have scored and was clearly penalised, but somehow neither the referee nor VAR gives the penalty. In my opinion it was so clear.”
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Bournemouth’s Premier League clash with Brentford
Tavernier echoed that statement, saying he felt contact in the box and was disappointed VAR waved the incident away.
“Yes [thought it was a penalty]. I thought so straight away, he says to TNT Sports.
“As soon as I ran through, I felt contact on my arm and then on my Achilles as I went through.
“I spoke to the referee afterwards and he said it had been checked straight away, there wasn’t much more I could do.
“I felt the contact and you know the laws of the game these days, especially when we have VAR, but today it wasn’t meant to be and it didn’t go our way.
“As you can see, I’m off balance and in the air when the ball comes to me. If he doesn’t touch me, I most likely have a routine finish that we work on every day in practice.
“It’s a shame they didn’t pick it up, but we’ve got to go again.”