Premier League release statement on Sunderland vs Brentford incident
Sunderland beat Brentford 2-1 in what proved to be a dramatic affair at the Stadium of Light.
Igor Thiago’s precise header handed Brentford the lead with just under 15 minutes left to play, but Enzo Le Fee was on hand to convert his penalty in the 82nd minute as the Black Cats looked to be securing a valuable point.
This was until a stoppage-time winner from substitute Wilson Isidor stole all three points at the death as the Stadium of Light erupted.
The game may have played out differently, however, if VAR had not been on hand to correctly intervene and prevent Brentford from taking the lead earlier in the game.
Premier League release statement explaining decision to rule out Brentford opener
Sunderland supporters watched on in horror as Dango Ouattara raced through on goal before calmly rolling the ball past a helpless Robin Roefs in between the sticks.
However, they could quickly breathe a sigh of relief as the winger was ruled to be offside in the build-up and the goal was subsequently chalked off by VAR.
In a statement from the Premier League Match Centre on X, they explained the decision by saying: “VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and established that Ouattara was in an offside position in the build-up and recommended that the goal was disallowed.”
The decision in the 21st minute ensured the game remained goalless going into half-time, but the big refereeing decisions did not stop there.
Brentford looked as though they were about to have the ball in the back of the net once again when they were awarded a penalty; however, Roefs was on hand to deny Kevin Schade from the penalty spot.
Le Bris’ men were then handed a penalty of their own, which proved to be the catalyst for their dramatic comeback.
Stadium of Light could keep Sunderland in Premier League single-handedly
Following Roef’s penalty save, the atmosphere within the ground went up another level and played a vital role in lifting the players on the pitch.
The momentum switch was instant, as Sunderland went from the side that was on the back foot to the one piling the pressure on.
- Sunderland have won both of their home games so far
- The wins will be even sweeter as Brentford and West Ham are two of the teams who have been tipped to be in and around the relegation zone come the end of the season
- Sunderland were clinical with the chances they did get, with Isidor’s header being given an xG value of 0.25
Despite the Stadium of Light being a fortress so far, the Black Cats will be aware that they will need to pick up some points on the road, and their clash with Crystal Palace after the international break is the perfect opportunity to do so.
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