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Premier League panel admits penalty awarded to Sunderland vs Arsenal was wrong

Arteta on the touchline
Arteta on the touchlineREUTERS / Scott Heppell

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's anger over a penalty awarded to ⁠Sunderland earlier this month was partly vindicated after the Premier League's independent review panel ‌concluded the spot kick should not have been given.

The league's ‌five-member Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel unanimously ‌ruled that referee John Brooks made the wrong on-field ‌call when he awarded Sunderland a penalty ‌in Arsenal's 2-0 win after defender Ezri Konsa was judged to have fouled Dan Ballard during a ‌corner.

Arteta described the decision as "unacceptable" after ⁠the match, although ‌Arsenal escaped unscathed when goalkeeper David Raya pushed Enzo Le ​Fee's penalty onto the post in the 55th minute.

"The panel unanimously felt that ​the referee's call of a penalty for a holding offence was incorrect," the panel said ⁠in its report.

"Although ​it was a very untidy challenge in which Konsa initially had arms around Ballard, Ballard engages in a holding action which pulls Konsa onto him ‌so they both fall to the floor."

However, the panel backed VAR's decision not to recommend an on-field review.

"The non-VAR intervention was supported, 3:2, with the majority considering that the on-field decision was not a clear and obvious error, given the combined actions from both players," it said.

The KMI Panel is an independent body comprising three ‌former players or coaches, one Premier League representative ​and one representative from Pro Ref, the ‌organisation responsible for refereeing in England.

The reigning champions Arsenal sit second in the Premier League standings after a 3-0 loss to Brighton on Saturday, and will host Leeds ⁠United on October ⁠10 after the international ‌break.

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