VAR Audio Reveals Why Chelsea Were Denied Strong Penalty Claim vs. Sunderland

There wasn’t an overriding amount of sympathy for Cole Palmer’s penalty appeal.

Cole Palmer was unimpressed with the officiating. | Stu Forster/Getty Images

In little more than 10 first-half minutes, the momentum of Chelsea’s trip to Sunderland changed dramatically.

Cole Palmer was still stewing over a strong penalty appeal he’d had waved away by the officials when referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot for a Sunderland penalty. There was a furious reaction from the Chelsea bench who unanimously questioned whether Levi Colwill had been fouled as much as Brian Brobbey during a mutual tussle.

Yet, there was plenty of frustration still regarding the initial decision which had passed Palmer by.

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Why Cole Palmer Was Denied Penalty Against Sunderland

A quarter of the way through the first half, Palmer wriggled on the wrong side of Sunderland’s Luke O'Nien. The Black Cats skipper desperately tried to halt Chelsea’s talisman but failed to make any contact with the ball, ploughing, instead, into the back of Palmer’s right knee.

Remarkably, referee Gillett did not whistle for any kind of foul and his video assistant referee Nick Hopton didn’t usher him across to the touchline monitor. As the Premier League revealed in a statement released during the contest, the VAR was not convinced by any penalty appeal.

“Confirming the on-field decision of play on, any contact with Palmer occurs outside the penalty area.”

VAR, Nick Hopton

Cole Palmer caused a real scuffle. | USA Network

In the eyes of Hopton, the offense took place outside the area. Broadcast footage would suggest that while O’Nien may have initially bundled into Palmer just before the white line, contact did appear to continue into the box, which should theoretically have resulted in a penalty.

The defense for the officials comes in the vagaries of the replays. VAR can only intervene when there is a “clear and obvious error,” with a high threshold enforced by the Premier League’s lawmakers.

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Reaction to Chelsea Penalty Dismissal

Xabi Alonso wasn’t happy. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Many online fans were incensed by the non-decision, with their fury heightened by Sunderland’s successful penalty appeal just 13 minutes later. However, Sky Sports commentator Chris Sutton only had partial sympathy for the visitors.

“They should be hard done by on the Cole Palmer decision,” the former Chelsea striker admitted. “It’s not a penalty as I think the initial contact is outside the box, but it is a foul. Jarred Gillett and VAR decided to play on.”

However, Sutton’s overriding stance hinged on the opinion that Sunderland’s halftime lead was keeping with the balance of the contest: “The truth is Chelsea have been second best.”

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