A Premier League panel has endorsed the decision by Referee Rob Jones and VAR Michael Salisbury that Manchester City midfielder Elliot Anderson did not handle the ball in his side's 5-3 win over Sunderland. The Black Cats were left furious after the ball struck Anderson’s hand while competing with Enzo Le Fee inside the City penalty area during a breathless second half.
Jones turned away protests and Salisbury refrained from intervening from Stockley Park. However, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents five-person panel backed the original call by a 3-2 majority vote. Two members of the panel felt Anderson deliberately moved his arm toward the ball, but the majority supported the referee's call of no penalty.
The panel also voted four to one that VAR’s decision not to step in was correct. This verdict comes less than 24 hours after the Premier League confirmed City have been found guilty of almost all of the 115 charges brought against them, a verdict City denies and plans to appeal.
Separately, there was a split decision concerning Everton’s disallowed goal in their 1-0 win over Ipswich. The VAR intervention to disallow the goal for Brennan Johnson interfering with an opponent was supported 3-2, with two panellists believing Johnson’s position and actions did not impact goalkeeper Christian Walton.