Why Chelsea Were Denied a Penalty After Cole Palmer Was Fouled Against Sunderland

• Chelsea appealed for a penalty in the 24th minute after Cole Palmer went down following contact from a Sunderland opponent
• VAR reviewed the incident and upheld the referee's original decision to allow play to continue
• The Premier League's Match Centre confirmed on X that the contact on Palmer took place outside the penalty area

Chelsea were denied a penalty during their Premier League clash against Sunderland on Sunday, November 8, after VAR determined that the foul on Cole Palmer took place outside the box.

Why Chelsea were denied a penalty

The incident occurred in the 24th minute when Palmer fell under a challenge from a Sunderland defender, sparking immediate protests from the Chelsea players.

The referee, Jarred Gillett, waved away the appeals, and a subsequent VAR check supported that call.

The Premier League's Match Centre addressed the matter on X, offering a brief but decisive explanation:

Read also

Why VAR did not award Arsenal a penalty after foul on Kai Havertz

"Confirming the on-field decision of play on, any contact with Palmer occurs outside the penalty area."

Watch the Cole Palmer penalty appeal, as shared on X:

The ruling comes down to the specific wording of football's governing laws. Under Law 12 of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), a direct free-kick offence becomes a penalty only when it is committed inside the defending team's penalty area. The same offence outside that boundary results in a direct free-kick instead.

In Palmer's case, VAR confirmed that physical contact did take place, but its precise location fell short of the threshold required for a spot-kick.

That distinction effectively closed the door on Chelsea's claim, regardless of how obvious the contact appeared to those watching.

VAR's role in the decision

VAR is authorised to intervene in penalty-related decisions when a clear and obvious error has been made or a serious incident has gone undetected.

The review in this instance did not identify an error on the part of the on-field referee; it instead confirmed the basis on which the original decision was made.

Read also

Concerns emerge as Kwame Nkrumah SHS Arts Block is declared unsafe, its current state sparks fear

The ruling serves as a reminder that in top-flight football, the geographical precision of an offence carries as much legal weight as the offence itself.

Whether a foul is committed one metre inside or outside the penalty area can determine the entire outcome of a refereeing call, however marginal that difference may appear in real time.

Why Arsenal were denied a penalty

YEN.com.gh also reported that the Premier League explained why Arsenal were denied a penalty against Hull City despite VAR confirming a holding offence on Kai Havertz.

The incident occurred in the 42nd minute, but an offside decision ruled out the possibility of a spot-kick.

Source: YEN.com.gh