VAR slammed as Leeds and Bournemouth fume over being denied penalties with key decisions criticised | Football News

“What was VAR doing? It can’t be a clearer penalty.”

This was the reaction of Leeds manager Daniel Farke after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland – but it may well have been the words of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.

Like Farke, Iraola was left dumbfounded by the failure of the officials to spot what he – and many others – thought to be a ‘clear and obvious’ penalty in Bournemouth’s 0-0 draw with Brentford.

Here, we break down the key flashpoints on yet another difficult night for the officials – and the key reaction.

Have your say on the contentious decisions using our polls below…

Leeds 0-1 Sunderland

INCIDENT: In the first half of Leeds’ 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, Luke O’Nien grabbed Pascal Struijk by the neck in the box.

Referee Stuart Attwell did not appear to spot the incident in real time. Sky Sports News understands the incident was looked at by VAR but it was deemed that a clear and obvious error had not 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 post about the reasoning behind this call on X.

REACTION:

Farke, who does not tend to be critical of the officials, felt the VAR was to blame for missing the incident.

“It is not even a question,” the Leeds manager told TNT Sports. “What was VAR doing? It can’t be a clearer penalty.

“It is tough to understand how this is not checked and not re-watched.

“I am pretty sure that Stuart [Attwell], such a quality ref, 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 am not sure what the VAR is doing in this moment. No [I haven’t spoken to the ref]. It is a scene for the VAR, for the referee it is difficult to see. It depends on his position. If you watch the scene back it can’t be clearer.”

Farke’s disbelief was shared by former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson.

Covering the game on Soccer Special, Dawson said in-game: “Leeds should have had penalty. Pascal Struijk looks to get across Luke O’Nien and he just puts his arms straight around his neck.

“I can’t believe VAR haven’t intervened.”

Former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford went a step further in his criticism. “I’m so bemused as to how the referee and VAR officials have not given a penalty,” he said on TNT Sports. “It’s clear as day. Arms around the neck, he drags him down to the ground. How’s that not a penalty? It’s absolutely 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 rebounded off his legs 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 deliberately handles the ball in the penalty area. My final decision is penalty kick.”

Sunderland just about scored from the penalty through Habib Diarra, whose spot-kick should have been saved by Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow. This was Sunderland’s only shot on target of the game.

REACTION:

Farke appeared to agree with the officials on this incident: “It was an instinctive reaction from my most important and best player,” he said. “Of course not necessary and gave away a penalty.

“It was not even a chance for them. The penalty was nearly missed. How the ball went in is difficult to explain. Sometimes football is like this. It is tough to take.”

Dawson was more aggrieved than Farke when giving his instant reaction on Soccer Special.

“I think it’ll be very, very harsh I don’t know what he’s supposed to do with his arms. People say he moves his arms towards it. But all the Sunderland players, as soon as it happened, straight away they went to him.

“He doesn’t really make the movement; his arm’s moving forward, there just might be a little bit of a movement. It comes off his body, and then off his chest, and then it sort of rolls down his arm.”

At the time of writing, most Sky Sports readers voted that it was the wrong decision.

Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford

INCIDENT: During the 0-0 between Bournemouth and Brentford, a game which could prove to be decisive in the race for European football, Marcus Tavernier raced across Michael Kayode and was caught on the Achilles by the defender before sweeping his shot onto the post.

VAR match official Darren England reviewed the incident but no penalty was awarded to Bournemouth. The Premier League Match Centre did not comment on the incident.

REACTION:

Iraola criticised the decision, claiming referee Craig Pawson and VAR missed a “clear” penalty for his team.

“We had a big penalty decision that did not go our away,” Iraola said. “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 echoed this statement and said he felt contact in the box and was disappointed that VAR waved the incident away.

“Yeah [thought it was a penalty]. I thought it straight away,” he told TNT Sports.

“As soon as I ran through, I felt contact on my arm and then on my Achilles when I went through.

“I spoke to the referee after and he said it had been checked straightaway, there was not 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 come our way.

“As you can see, I am off balance and in the air as the ball comes to me. If he doesn’t touch me, I’ve most likely got a routine finish, which we work on every day in training.

“It’s unfortunate they didn’t pick it up, but we have to go again.”