Manchester City’s dramatic 5-3 victory over Sunderland has sparked plenty of debate, but a Premier League review panel has backed the officials’ decision not to award a penalty for an alleged Elliot Anderson handball.
Referee Rob Jones waved away Sunderland’s appeals during a frantic second-half moment at the City penalty area after the ball appeared to strike Anderson’s hand as he challenged Sunderland midfielder Enzo Le Fee.
VAR Michael Salisbury reviewed the incident from Stockley Park but decided there was not enough evidence to overturn the referee’s original decision.
The call frustrated Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris, whose side believed they should have been handed a route back into the contest.
However, the Premier League’s five-person Key Match Incidents panel has now supported the decision by a 3-2 majority.
The panel is made up of three former players or coaches, alongside a Premier League representative and a representative from Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
While the majority agreed with the original decision, two members reached a different conclusion.
Those two panellists believed Anderson had made a deliberate movement towards the ball with his arm, which they considered sufficient for a handball offence.
The panel’s findings read: “The referee’s call of no penalty for a potential handball offence against Anderson was supported, 3:2.
“Both players were engaged and the ball was bouncing at close proximity after deflecting off Le Fee.
“Two panellists felt that there was a deliberate secondary movement of the arm from Anderson that was a handball offence.”
The panel also reviewed Salisbury’s decision not to intervene and gave it even stronger backing.
Four of the five members agreed that the VAR was correct not to overturn Jones’ original call, while only one panellist disagreed.
The incident came during an eventful contest in which City eventually emerged with five goals, but Sunderland’s frustration over the penalty appeal added another talking point to an already dramatic encounter.
For Sunderland, the decision represented a significant moment because a penalty could have changed the momentum of the game. City, meanwhile, escaped the controversy without conceding from the spot.
The panel’s verdict does not erase the debate surrounding the incident, particularly given the split among its own members. Instead, it confirms that the majority considered the on-field decision and subsequent VAR non-intervention consistent with the applicable handball interpretation.
With the Premier League continuing to scrutinise major refereeing decisions through its Key Match Incidents process, the Anderson incident is likely to remain a talking point despite the official review backing the decision made during the match.
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