Premier League make announcement on Enzo Le Fee incident in Bournemouth vs Sunderland
Enzo Le Fee somehow wasn’t awarded a penalty early on as Sunderland clashed with Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Sunderland travelled to the Vitality Stadium looking to return to winning ways, despite the heavy injury list that has recently hit Regis Le Bris.
Granit Xhaka returned to captain the side, but Brian Brobbey and Nordi Mukiele were the latest casualties in the treatment room this week.
Le Fee has been handed more responsibility in recent weeks, and he should have been rewarded with another effort from the penalty spot.
Alex Jiminez bundled him over within minutes, and the Premier League have now had their say.
What did the Premier League say?
Jarred Gillet waved away appeals from Le Fee, despite giving several of the same fouls literally minutes after the collision in the box.
The Mexican was clumsy in pushing over Le Fee, but VAR have described it as “normal contact”.
After review, the Premier League Match Centre have revealed the reasons behind it not being awarded as a penalty kick, which looked obvious.
Thankfully, Eliezer Mayenda would go on to put Sunderland ahead minutes later at the Vitality, tapping home for a deserved lead on the south coast before half-time.
How has Enzo Le Fee fared from the penalty spot?
It has been a mixed season for Le Fee, that’s the brutal truth.
The playmaker did score from the spot last time out against Fulham in the 3-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light, but many will remember his miss.
Stepping up away at Brentford, Le Fee inexplicably went for the Panenka.
They can look brilliant when they come off, but when they don’t, you simply look foolish.
Caoimhin Kelleher simply stood still and caught the ball, leaving Le Fee with his head in his hands and likely never to try the same again in the Premier League.
Having the bottle and nerve to stand up and be counted again after that disaster shows the character that Le Fee has for this Mackems side, though, and he should have been afforded another shot here.
Jiminez was clumsy and went straight through the back of him, so whether it was normal contact or not, it was a foul, with yet another show of zero consistency in the Premier League.
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