Panel rules Sunderland penalty wrong as Arteta fumes over missed foul

In the dead‑heat at the Stadium of Light, the Premier League Key Match Incidents panel confirmed that the referee’s decision to award Sunderland a penalty was wrong, a verdict that followed David Raya’s spectacular save from Enzo Le Fee’s spot‑kick.

John Brooks signalled the penalty when the score was locked at 0‑0, judging that Ezri Konsa had fouled Dan Ballard in an aerial duel. Getty reported that Konsa was adjudged to have hauled Ballard to the floor while both wrestled for the ball.

Enzo Le Fee stepped up to take the spot‑kick, but Raya dived to his left, tipped the ball off the post and away, preserving the stalemate for the first half.

Two minutes later, former Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes struck from the edge of the box, and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka added a late spot‑kick of his own to seal the win.

Panel verdict on the penalty

The five‑person panel unanimously concluded that Ballard had initially grabbed Konsa before dragging the Arsenal man on top of him, making the referee’s penalty award incorrect. Their statement read: “Although it was a very untidy challenge in which Konsa initially had arms around Ballard, Ballard engages in a holding action which pulls Konsa onto him so they both fall to the floor.”

Arsenal aims to poach BVB's target Josh King from Premier League

Despite the error, the panel judged that the incident did not meet the threshold for a ‘clear and obvious error’, so VAR was not required to intervene.

Arteta’s fury and wider fallout

After the match, Mikel Arteta told he was “very, very worried” and that “everybody can see it is not a foul and it’s not acceptable at this level”. He added that the incident was “not soft, it’s a judo roll” and that “the cameras show this cannot happen”. Tony Cascarino condemned Arteta’s rant.

The panel, comprising three former players and coaches, a top‑flight representative and a ProRef official, also ruled unanimously that Erling Haaland’s goal for Manchester City against Manchester United should not have stood, citing an off‑side interference by Enzo Fernandez that warranted a VAR review. They also upheld Michael Oliver’s red card for Phil Foden for a kick at Bruno Fernandes.

The findings underscore that while refereeing mistakes may be admitted, VAR will only intervene when a clear and obvious error is identified, a principle that will shape future Premier League officiating decisions.