Overview
- The Key Match Incidents panel published its findings on Wednesday, Sept 23, and unanimously concluded the penalty awarded to Sunderland against Arsenal was the wrong on-field call while a 3-2 majority supported VAR Stuart Attwell’s decision not to recommend an on-field review.
- Referee John Brooks had awarded the spot kick after judging Ezri Konsa to have held Dan Ballard at a corner, Enzo Le Fee’s penalty was saved by David Raya, and Arsenal went on to win 2-0.
- The same KMI report unanimously judged that Erling Haaland’s Manchester derby winner should have been ruled out for offside and identified failures in the VAR review, prompting Pro Ref to acknowledge errors and stand down the VAR officials involved pending a process review.
- The panel’s split on intervention underscores how the Premier League’s high 'clear and obvious' threshold can leave unanimous determinations of wrong on-field decisions without VAR overturns, and the KMI can only confirm errors and recommend changes rather than alter results.
- Clubs and managers have used the published verdicts to press officiating bodies for clearer guidance and faster fixes, increasing scrutiny on Pro Ref’s training, review procedures and the practical risk that incorrect calls can affect match momentum and club trust.