“What was VAR doing? It can’t be a clearer penalty.” That was Leeds manager Daniel Farke’s reaction after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland — a sentiment echoed by Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola after his team were denied a spot-kick in a 0-0 draw with Brentford. Below are the key incidents and reactions from a night of contentious decisions.
Leeds 0-1 Sunderland
Officials: Referee Stuart Attwell; assistants Constantine Hatzidakis, Hristo Karaivanov; fourth official John Busby; VAR Paul Tierney; AVAR Ian Hussin.
Incident 1: In the first half, Luke O’Nien appeared to grab Pascal Struijk by the neck inside the box. Referee Stuart Attwell did not give a penalty on the pitch. Sky Sports News understands VAR reviewed the incident but concluded a clear and obvious error had not occurred.
Reaction: Farke, who rarely criticises officials, said on TNT Sports: “It is not even a question. What was VAR doing? It can’t be a clearer penalty… If you watch the scene back it can’t be clearer.” Former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson and ex-Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford also criticised the lack of intervention, calling the incident “clear as day” and “absolutely embarrassing.”
Incident 2: In the second half VAR recommended an on-field review for a handball by Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu after Wilson Isidor’s shot deflected into his arm. Attwell overturned and awarded a penalty, announcing: “After review, Leeds’ No. 4 deliberately handles the ball in the penalty area. My final decision is penalty kick.” Habib Diarra converted the spot-kick; it was Sunderland’s only shot on target of the game.
Reaction: Farke accepted the decision, calling the handball an instinctive reaction from a key player and lamenting the luck of the match. Dawson disagreed, describing the penalty as “very, very harsh” and questioning whether Ampadu made a deliberate movement. At the time of reporting, most Sky Sports readers judged the award the wrong call.
Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
Officials: Referee Craig Pawson; assistants Lee Betts, Mat Wilkes; fourth official David Webb; VAR Darren England; AVAR Simon Bennett.
Incident: Marcus Tavernier raced past Brentford defender Michael Kayode and was clipped on the Achilles before his shot hit the post. VAR Darren England reviewed the sequence but no penalty was awarded; the Premier League Match Centre offered no further explanation.
Reaction: Iraola criticised both Pawson and VAR, saying: “We had a big penalty decision that did not go our way. VAR checked and cleared it within five seconds… Tavs was going to score and was clearly fouled, but somehow neither the referee nor VAR give the penalty. In my opinion it was so clear.” Tavernier also said he felt contact on his arm and Achilles, believed it should have been given, and was disappointed VAR “waved the incident away.”
Summary: Both matches left managers and pundits frustrated by VAR and on-field officials’ choices — one camp feeling clear penalties were missed, the other defending marginal decisions after replays. The incidents have renewed debate about consistency and the threshold for overturning or recommending reviews.