Leeds United manager Daniel Farke may feel a sense of déjà vu as his side travel to the North East to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
The Whites drew 1-1 at the Stadium of Light last season, but Leeds’ 1-0 home defeat to Sunderland grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Ethan Ampadu conceded a penalty after a VAR intervention that ultimately proved the difference between the two teams. However, VAR remained silent when Pascal Struijk was clearly fouled inside the penalty box.
The Premier League later admitted Leeds deserved a penalty, and it matters ahead of the Sunderland clash because the same referee, Stuart Attwell, will be in charge on Sunday.
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Daniel Farke’s VAR rant gains significance ahead of the weekend
The Leeds boss defended Stuart Attwell after the game and conceded it was difficult for the referee to spot the foul on then-Whites defender Struijk.
However, he laid into VAR, insisting it was baffling that VAR didn’t even properly check the incident and asking the on-field referee to review it on the monitor.
The German was furious with VAR and said his side were denied a clear penalty, which the Premier League later confirmed.
“It’s not even a question,” Farke said after the Sunderland game at Elland Road. “What was VAR doing?
“It’s tough to understand how this is not checked. If the referee watched it back, he would say all day long it’s a penalty.
“It’s more for VAR; it’s difficult for the referee to see.”
With Attwell in charge on Sunday, Leeds hope such incidents won’t be repeated at the Stadium of Light and that VAR and the referee won’t be the headlines after the game.
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Leeds hope the rules are applied consistently on Sunday
Their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at Elland Road last season was another reminder of how VAR can turn a football match into a debate about refereeing rather than the football itself. But the most damning part was what came afterwards.
Rodon had a goal ruled out for offside before Attwell went to the monitor and awarded Sunderland a penalty for handball against Ethan Ampadu. Habib Diarra converted, and Leeds were left chasing a game decided by a hugely contentious call.
Yet the real scandal was that the Premier League’s own review panel later agreed Leeds should have received a penalty for Luke O’Nien’s foul on Struijk, while backing the decision against Ampadu. Leeds were effectively denied a spot-kick at one end, only to concede one at the other.
Daniel Farke’s frustration was entirely understandable. What is the point of a review system if it still leaves teams feeling the same rules aren’t applied consistently?
