Premier League panel admit VAR error in Sunderland’s 1-0 win at Leeds | OneFootball

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel has ruled Sunderland were fortunate to avoid an early penalty in their 1-0 win at Leeds, and said VAR should have stepped in.

According to Sunderland Echo, the flashpoint came in the 16th minute at Elland Road, when Luke O’Nien grappled with Pascal Struijk as a Leeds corner was delivered.

The panel concluded referee Stuart Attwell ought to have awarded a spot-kick and VAR official Paul Tierney should have intervened. It found O’Nien was not looking at the ball and used his arms to impede Struijk’s run, a unanimous view.

Sunderland later prevailed through a 70th-minute penalty for handball by Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu, confirmed after a VAR review. The KMI panel backed that decision by five to zero, citing a secondary arm movement that diverted the ball.

After the match, head coach Daniel Farke condemned the non-award, questioning why VAR did not flag it and saying a replay would have pointed to a penalty.

Source: Sunderland Echo