“What was VAR doing? There couldn’t have been a clearer penalty than this.”
This was Leeds manager Daniel Farke’s reaction after Leeds lost 1-0 to Sunderland. But those could have been Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola’s words.
Like Farke, Iraola was left dumbfounded by the referees’ failure to spot what he and many others thought was a ‘clear and obvious’ penalty in Bournemouth’s 0-0 draw with Brentford.
Here we break down the key flashpoints and key reactions to another difficult night for officials.
Have your say on the controversial decision in the survey below…
Leeds 0-1 Sunderland
case: Leeds lost 1-0 to Sunderland in the first half. Luke Onin seize Pascal Struik Next to the neck inside the box.
Stuart Atwell Referee I don’t think we discovered the incident in real time. Sky Sports News The incident was reviewed by VAR and it was deemed that no clear and obvious errors had occurred.
Premier League Match Center, which decided to award a penalty to Sunderland for a handball by Ethan Ampadu in the second half, did not post why this call was made to X.
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WATCH FREE: Highlights of Premier League clash between Leeds and Sunderland
reaction:
awakenUncritical of the referees, he felt VAR was responsible for missing the incident.
“I can’t even ask the question,” the Leeds manager said. TNT Sports. “What was VAR doing? There couldn’t have been a clearer penalty.
“It’s hard to understand how you don’t check this out and watch it again.
“I’m sure Stuart (Attwell), who’s a great referee, is very experienced and very calm. If he had the chance to watch this game again he would have said, ‘This is a penalty all day long.’
“I’m not sure what VAR is doing now. No (I haven’t spoken to the referee). It’s a shot for VAR and it’s hard for the referee to see. It depends on his position. Watching the shot again, it couldn’t be clearer.”
Farke’s disbelief was shared by the former Tottenham defender. Michael Dawson.
cover the game soccer specialsDawson said in-game: “Leeds should have been awarded a penalty. Pascal Struijk tried to cross Luke O’Nien and he just put his arm straight around his neck.
“I can’t believe VAR didn’t intervene.”
Former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford went further in his criticism. “I’m so confused that the referee and VAR officials didn’t award a penalty kick,” he said. TNT Sports. “It’s clear as day. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him to the ground. How is that not a penalty? I’m really embarrassed.”
case: VAR intervened in the second half to recommend an on-field review for a possible handball by Leeds captain Ampadu after Wilson Isidor’s shot ricocheted off his leg and body before hitting his arm.
Referee Attwell overturned his decision and awarded a spot kick. He wrote in a statement to Elland Road: “After review, it appears that Leeds (No. 4) deliberately handled the ball in the penalty area. The final decision is a penalty kick.”
Sunderland had just scored a penalty through Habib Diarra, whose penalty should have been saved by Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow. This was Sunderland’s only target of the game.
reaction:
Farke seemed to agree with officials about the incident. “This was the instinctive reaction of my most important and best player,” he said. “Of course there was no need for that and they gave a penalty kick.
“They didn’t even have a chance. They almost missed the penalty. It’s hard to explain how the ball went in. That’s how it is sometimes in football. It’s hard to catch.”
Dawson was angrier than Farke when it came to his immediate reaction to Soccer Special.
“It must be very, very harsh. I don’t know what to do with his arm. They say he moves it that way. But all the Sunderland players ran straight to him as soon as it happened.”
“He’s not really moving. There’s just a little bit of movement because his arm is moving forward. It’s like it’s coming off his body and then off his chest and rolling down his arm.”
At the time of writing, most sky sports Readers voted that it was the wrong decision.
Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
case: In a 0-0 draw between Bournemouth and Brentford, a match that could be decisive in the European football competition, Marcus Tavernier ran across Michael Kayode and had his shot hit the post after being caught on his Achilles tendon by the defender.
VAR match official Darren England reviewed the incident but no penalty was awarded to Bournemouth. Premier League Match Center did not comment on the incident.
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Brentford defender Michael Kayode appeared to have beaten Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier just before the latter fired a shot towards goal, but escaped with a penalty disallowed.
reaction:
Iraola criticized the decision, claiming referee Craig Pawson and VAR missed a “clear” penalty against his team.
“We made a big penalty decision but the result stood,” Iraola said. “Cleared within 1 hour after checking VAR”
5 seconds.
“Tavs tried to score but was clearly fouled, but neither the referee nor VAR awarded a penalty. I think it was very clear.”
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WATCH FREE: Highlights of Bournemouth vs Brentford match in Premier League
Tavernier repeated this and said he felt contact in the box and was disappointed VAR called off the incident.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought (I thought it was a penalty kick),” he told TNT Sports.
“As soon as I ran, I felt it touch my arm, and as I passed, I felt it touch my Achilles tendon.
“I spoke to the referee and he said there was nothing more he could do as they had checked it immediately.
“I felt contact and I know the laws of the game these days, especially with VAR, but today it wasn’t meant to be and it didn’t go our way.”
“As you can see, when the ball is coming towards me I lose my balance and am in the air. If he doesn’t touch me, I’m likely to do the routine finish we practice every day in training.
“It’s unfortunate they didn’t take it, but we have to go again.”
