Leeds United found themselves at the centre of yet another refereeing storm on Saturday night in the 1-0 defeat against Sunderland, with events at Elland Road following hot on the heels of the controversy against Manchester City.
Just after the hour mark, Joe Rodon thought he had given Leeds the lead, only for his goal to be chalked off for a marginal offside decision. Minutes later, the mood in the stadium shifted again when Sunderland were awarded a penalty after VAR ruled that Ethan Ampadu had deliberately handled the ball inside the area. From there, the headlines practically wrote themselves.
For the second home game in a row, the referee left Elland Road as the main talking point, and not in a positive way from a Leeds perspective. But the flashpoints did not stop there. Earlier in the first half, there was another major decision that many inside the ground felt went against the hosts.
The Premier League have come out to explain the VAR’s decisions against Leeds, which cost them more points at home in a second successive game.
The Premier League explains VAR calls against Leeds United
Rodon thought he had given Leeds the lead in the 64th minute, but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside call, which, while harsh, was the right one.
The Premier League statement on X read: VAR checked the referee’s call of a goal, and established that Rodon was in an offside position and recommended that the goal was disallowed.
However, Ampadu’s handball was not as clear cut as there is no evidence to suggest that he deliberately moved his hand towards the ball during the alleged offence.
It was not a clear-cut error from the referee, and definitey not a bigger error than when Luke O’Nien pulled down Pascal Struijk in the first half.
However, the referee changed his decision after help from VAR, and the statement read: “After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of no penalty to Sunderland.”
The Whites have had no luck this season
If tempers were already fraying after what happened at Manchester City, Daniel Farke had even more reason to be livid following the events against Sunderland at Elland Road.
The decision to ignore what looked like a clear foul on Pascal Struijk, the tight offside call that ruled out Rodon’s goal, and the penalty handed to Sunderland all added to a growing sense of injustice. Each moment on its own was contentious; together, they left Leeds feeling hard done by once again.
It has been a recurring theme this season. Leeds have repeatedly found themselves on the wrong end of big calls, and there is a genuine belief around the club that a bit more fortune, or consistency, from officials could have seen them sitting far higher in the table.
The result itself was disappointing, but for the second home game in a row, the officiating dominated the conversation. Leeds will now be hoping these costly decisions do not continue to derail their campaign between now and the end of the season.
