Bbc Sport: ‘The hunger is big’ — Sunderland hit 40 points as VAR row erupts at Leeds
sport — Sunderland moved to 40 points after a 1-0 win at Leeds when Habib Diarra converted a second-half penalty; the result, in early March (ET), secures a traditional safety tally and has left managers and pundits furious about VAR decisions. The match at Elland Road delivered a milestone for the Black Cats and a separate flashpoint when a first-half incident involving Luke O’Nien and Pascal Struijk was not awarded as a penalty. The game combined decisive on-field marginal gains with off-field critique of officiating that threatens to linger into the coming fixtures.
Sunderland’s milestone and key performers
Sunderland claimed a vital away success through Habib Diarra’s penalty and moved to the long-standing benchmark of 40 points, a total widely seen as sufficient for Premier League safety. The Black Cats have won 10 of their 29 Premier League games so far this season and recorded their first away victory since October in this match. Granit Xhaka, identified in the squad as a former Arsenal midfielder, returned from injury to be introduced just before the hour mark and his presence was singled out as a turning point in the contest: the team improved after his entry and he helped his side to manage 12 tense minutes of injury-time.
Regis le Bris, the Sunderland head coach, has been credited with setting the team up to frustrate Leeds while capitalising on the few attacking moments that arose. The match was one of only five Premier League games this season in which a team has won with just one shot on target; Sunderland now account for two of those instances.
Sport: VAR decisions under fire
The game generated major debate over officiating after a first-half incident in which Luke O’Nien grabbed Pascal Struijk by the neck in the box. Referee Stuart Attwell did not appear to penalise the action in real time. The incident was reviewed by VAR but it was judged that no clear and obvious error had occurred, and play continued without a penalty award. Later, the penalty that did decide the match was awarded for a handball by Ethan Ampadu, a call clarified by the Premier League Match Centre, which did not post the detailed reasoning behind that decision.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke described the non-awarded first-half incident as unmistakable and questioned the VAR handling of the sequence. His reaction underlined frustration from the visiting bench and added to a broader critique of the match officials’ performance that night.
Immediate reactions from players and pundits
Granit Xhaka told teammates and staff that the squad had set a target of 40 points at the start of the season and, having reached it, the group still wanted more: “We spoke at the beginning of the season, our target was 40 points, we achieved 40 points and now we want more because the hunger is big, ” he said. Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown praised Sunderland’s season as “sensational”, noting the difficulty of finding ways to win away from home and calling the campaign a “real top-quality season for Sunderland. “
Daniel Farke said bluntly: “What was VAR doing? It can’t be a clearer penalty, ” voicing his disbelief that the first-half incident was not re-watched and penalised. Those comments framed the post-match conversation almost as much as Sunderland’s climb to the safety mark.
What’s next
Sunderland will aim to build on the 40-point landmark and maintain momentum, taking their form into upcoming fixtures under the guidance of their head coach. Meanwhile, scrutiny of VAR and the match officials — sharpened by this game and amplified in commentary on platforms including sport — is likely to follow both clubs into their next matches, with managers and league officials expected to monitor the fallout and any clarifications from the referee body closely.
