Keith Hackett, a former FIFA official, believes “the referee failed” by not awarding Leeds United a penalty in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland at Elland Road.
Referee Tim Robinson denied the Whites a clear second-half penalty kick following Luke O’Nien’s handball, and Daniel Farke admitted he expected an apology from the league for the decision.
And, in response to the referee’s error on his personal Twitter account (11 April), Hackett believes the assistant should have intervened in that situation, but both officials failed on this occasion.
“Leeds United have every right to be disappointed not to have been awarded a penalty kick for a clear handball,” commented the former Premier League and FIFA referee.
“Despite being in an excellent position, the referee failed to observe the offense, and his view was unfortunately obscured. The Assistant should have noticed the crime but likewise failed.”
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Will Leeds United be promoted to the Premier League?
This season, the race for promotion at the top of the Championship is extremely competitive, with only one point separating the top three teams following midweek performances.
But that only leaves a sour taste in Leeds fans’ mouths because a penalty would have been a tremendous opportunity to score the sole goal of the game in a dull affair, and those extra two points would have propelled the Whites to the top of the table rather than third place.
At this level, minor margins can make all the difference, and with only four games left, there isn’t much time for these things to even out.
An apology from the league or officials does not assist anyone, but the way VAR has been used in the Premier League this season does not guarantee that things will be different there as well.
Finally, Leeds must take their chances in games and perform better in order to advance automatically, or they will face a difficult playoff run despite having their future in their hands only a few games earlier.
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