The Reason Sunderland Did Not Get a Penalty for Elliot Anderson Handball
The reason Sunderland were not awarded a penalty after Elliot Anderson appeared to handle the ball inside the Manchester City box during Sunday’s 5-3 defeat has now emerged.
The incident has become one of the major talking points from an extraordinary afternoon at the Etihad Stadium, with Sunderland supporters left questioning why referee Robert Jones did not point to the spot.
At the time of the incident, Manchester City were leading 3-2, meaning a penalty could have given Sunderland an opportunity to draw level once again.
Instead, the game continued, City eventually won 5-3 and Sunderland were left to reflect on another controversial moment in a match that produced eight goals.
According to the report from GiveMeSport, VAR reviewed the incident but ultimately cleared the on-field decision.
The explanation was that Anderson’s contact with the ball was considered accidental rather than deliberate, meaning officials decided that the requirements for a handball offence had not been met.
However, former referees Keith Hackett and Mark Halsey have since publicly disagreed with that interpretation.
What Happened During the Incident?
Sunderland were pushing for another equaliser when Anderson became involved in a physical battle with Enzo Le Fée inside the Manchester City penalty area.
The ball came towards the Manchester City midfielder, with footage appearing to show it making contact with his arm.
Sunderland players immediately appealed for a penalty.
There was particular frustration because of the position of the incident and the scoreline.
City were only 3-2 ahead at that stage, meaning a successful penalty would have given Sunderland an opportunity to level the match for a fourth time.
Instead, Jones allowed play to continue.
The incident was subsequently checked by VAR, but no intervention was made.
According to the Sunderland Echo, as cited by GiveMeSport, VAR reviewed the situation and agreed with the referee’s interpretation that Anderson’s action was accidental.
That meant there was no penalty and no further action.
Why Was No Penalty Given?
The key issue was whether Anderson deliberately handled the ball.
Under the handball laws, not every contact between a player’s arm and the ball constitutes an offence.
Officials have to consider factors including whether the player deliberately moved the hand or arm towards the ball and whether the position of the arm made the body unnaturally bigger.
In this case, the officials concluded that Anderson had not deliberately handled the ball.
That decision explains why VAR did not recommend an on-field review and why the original decision stood.
From the officials’ perspective, the contact did not meet the threshold required for a deliberate handball.
That was enough for the decision to remain unchanged.
However, the incident has remained controversial because former referees have interpreted the footage differently.
Keith Hackett Disagrees With the Decision
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has strongly criticised the decision.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett argued that the incident should have resulted in both a yellow card for Anderson and a penalty for Sunderland.
He said:
“This was a clear handball offence missed by the referee, but should have been picked up by VAR – and the outcome clearly should have been a yellow card to Elliot Anderson and a penalty kick awarded to Sunderland.”
Hackett’s assessment therefore differs completely from the explanation given for the original decision.
Rather than viewing the contact as accidental, the former referee believed Anderson’s actions amounted to a handball offence.
His comments are likely to add further debate among Sunderland supporters, particularly because the decision came during such a close and high-scoring match.
Mark Halsey Also Believes Sunderland Should Have Had a Penalty
Hackett was not the only former Premier League referee to disagree with the decision.
Mark Halsey also said he believed Sunderland should have been awarded a penalty.
Speaking to The Sun, Halsey argued that Anderson deliberately moved his arm and pushed the ball away.
He said:
“Should Sunderland have been awarded a penalty? In my opinion, yes.”
Halsey added that he was surprised VAR did not recommend an on-field review.
He also described Manchester City as fortunate that a penalty was not awarded.
That provides an interesting contrast between the officials who reviewed the incident during the match and the former referees who subsequently analysed it.
The match officials concluded there was no deliberate handball.
Hackett and Halsey reached the opposite conclusion.
The Importance of the Decision
The timing of the incident makes it particularly significant.
Sunderland had already shown throughout the afternoon that they were capable of causing Manchester City serious problems.
Brian Brobbey had scored a hat-trick, with his third goal arriving in the 59th minute to make the score 4-3.
Earlier in the match, Sunderland had twice fought back after City took the lead.
A penalty at 3-2 could therefore have changed the momentum once again.
There is, of course, no guarantee Sunderland would have converted the opportunity.
But the possibility of another equaliser would have created enormous pressure on City with the match still in progress.
Instead, City survived the appeal and eventually secured all three points.
Erling Haaland’s 81st-minute goal finally gave the champions breathing room and completed a 5-3 victory.
Brobbey’s Hat-Trick Overshadowed
One of the biggest stories from Sunderland’s perspective was undoubtedly Brobbey’s performance.
The Dutch striker scored three times at the Etihad and became the first Sunderland player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Jermain Defoe in 2016, according to the supplied report.
His goals kept Sunderland in the contest for long periods and demonstrated the attacking threat they possess.
Yet despite scoring three times away to Manchester City, Sunderland left the Etihad without anything to show for their efforts.
The handball controversy is therefore another frustrating element of a match in which Sunderland came close to taking something from the champions.
Their attacking performance will provide encouragement for Régis Le Bris, but the defensive issues and controversial moments will also give the Sunderland manager plenty to consider during the international break.
City Maintain Perfect Start
For Manchester City, the result extended their perfect start to the Premier League campaign.
The Citizens have now won all five of their league matches, scoring 13 goals and conceding five according to the supplied report.
The victory also maintained their position at the top end of the Premier League standings as they continue life under Enzo Maresca.
City showed their attacking quality throughout the match, with Enzo Fernández, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Haaland all getting on the scoresheet.
Semenyo scored twice, while Haaland added the decisive fifth goal.
But Sunderland demonstrated that City can be vulnerable defensively, particularly against an opponent prepared to attack them.
Sunderland Head Into the Break With Four Points
Despite the defeat, Sunderland head into the international break with four points from their opening five Premier League matches.
They currently sit 14th in the table based on the supplied information.
The results may not have been exactly what Le Bris wanted, but there have been clear signs of encouragement.
Sunderland have already shown they can compete with established Premier League opposition, and Brobbey’s hat-trick at the Etihad was perhaps the clearest indication yet of their attacking potential.
The challenge now will be turning those performances into more points.
A Controversy That Will Continue to Be Debated
The Elliot Anderson handball incident is unlikely to disappear from the conversation quickly.
The official explanation is relatively straightforward: VAR reviewed the incident, but Anderson’s contact was judged to be accidental rather than deliberate.
That meant the on-field decision not to award a penalty was allowed to stand.
However, the disagreement from Hackett and Halsey ensures there are now two very different interpretations of the same incident.
For Sunderland supporters, the frustration will be understandable given the scoreline and the stage of the match.
For the officials, the decision came down to whether Anderson deliberately handled the ball.
That distinction ultimately determined the outcome of the VAR review.
Whether supporters agree with that interpretation is another matter.
What cannot be disputed is that Sunderland had a genuine opportunity to level the game if a penalty had been awarded, and the decision has now become one of the defining talking points from their 5-3 defeat.
Manchester City got the three points.
Sunderland got three goals and a memorable hat-trick from Brobbey.
But the question of whether they should also have been given a penalty will continue to dominate discussion after an extraordinary afternoon at the Etihad. Wa