Premier League panel backs controversial Elliot Anderson handball decision

Premier League panel backs controversial Elliot Anderson handball decision The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has ruled that Sunderland were correctly denied a penalty for a potential Elliot Anderson handball during their 5-3 defeat to Manchester City. Sunderland appealed for a spot-kick early in the second half at the Etihad Stadium after the ball struck Anderson’s arm while he battled Enzo Le Fee for possession inside the penalty area. Referee Robert Jones allowed play to continue and VAR decided there was insufficient evidence of a clear and obvious error to recommend an on-field review. The KMI Panel has now supported Jones’ original decision, although the verdict was far from unanimous. Three of the five panellists believed no penalty was the correct outcome, while two felt Anderson made a deliberate secondary movement with his arm which constituted a handball offence. The panel noted that Anderson and Le Fee were engaged with each other and the ball reached the City midfielder from close range after bouncing and deflecting off the Sunderland player. VAR’s decision not to intervene received slightly stronger backing, with four members supporting the video officials and one believing an intervention was required. The outcome means City avoided being judged to have benefited from a refereeing error during a dramatic eight-goal contest on September 20. Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris had expressed frustration with the decision after the game, with his side pushing City throughout an unusually open afternoon at the Etihad Stadium. Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick for the visitors, but goals from Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland alongside Antoine Semenyo’s brace secured a 5-3 victory for City. The Anderson incident was not the only handball decision assessed by the panel from the match. An earlier appeal against Marc Guehi was unanimously judged not to be an offence because his arms were considered to be in an expected position. Guehi was also involved before Semenyo’s first goal when the ball struck his arm, but four of the five panellists supported the decision to allow the goal because the contact was deemed accidental and the defender was not the scorer. The Premier League began publishing its KMI Panel findings weekly this season as part of an effort to provide greater transparency around major refereeing and VAR decisions. The Anderson verdict nevertheless underlines how subjective handball decisions remain, with the panel itself narrowly divided over whether City should have conceded a penalty.