Former refereeing Chief claims Chelsea were denied penalty in Sunderland defeat

Former head of PGMOL and FIFA referee Keith Hackett has claimed that Chelsea were wrongfully denied a first-half penalty during their 1-0 Premier League defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.​

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett explained that while video replays suggest Cole Palmer was fouled outside the box by Luke O’Nien, still images confirm the initial contact occurred on the penalty area boundary line.

Because the line counts as part of the box, Hackett argues the decision should have resulted in a spot-kick rather than being dismissed by referee Jarred Gillett and VAR official Nick Hopton.

​Shortly after the incident, Sunderland secured victory when Enzo Le Fee converted a penalty awarded after Levi Colwill challenged Brian Brobbey. Although Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso felt aggrieved by the officiating, he candidly admitted after the match: “We didn’t produce enough to deserve to win.”