A Premier League review panel has ruled that a controversial penalty awarded against Arsenal during their 2-0 victory at Sunderland was incorrect, following criticism from Gunners manager Mikel Arteta. The decision came after referee John Brooks penalized Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa for holding Sunderland’s Dan Ballard during a corner on 12 September. The penalty was saved by Arsenal’s David Raya, helping the team secure the win. Arteta was deeply unhappy with the call and asked Arsenal to contact Pro Ref, the Premier League’s referee advisory body, for clarification. The Key Match Incidents panel, made up of five members including former players and coaches, a Premier League representative, and a Pro Ref delegate, unanimously agreed that the on-field referee’s decision was incorrect. They explained that while Konsa had his arms around Ballard, Ballard initiated a holding action that caused both players to fall. However, the panel also ruled that VAR referee Stuart Attwell should not have intervened, as they did not consider the error to be a "clear and obvious" mistake. Arteta criticized the decision, saying it was "not acceptable" and questioned how the referee and VAR could have made such a call given the amount of work Arsenal puts into their matches. In another decision, the panel ruled that Erling Haaland’s winning goal in the Manchester derby on 13 September should have been disallowed due to an offside infringement. Haaland’s goal at Old Trafford was not overturned by VAR officials Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus, who failed to notice that Manchester City’s Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position and interfered with play. Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, criticized the VAR team for "tunnel vision," saying they focused only on Haaland and missed the offside violation by Fernandez. As a result, both officials were excluded from last weekend’s Premier League matches. The panel also confirmed that the red card shown to Manchester City’s Phil Foden for kicking Bruno Fernandes was correct, though they felt Fernandes deserved a yellow card for his actions. If the referee had not sent Foden off immediately, VAR could have recommended a yellow card for Fernandes during the red card review. Pro Ref has acknowledged the mistakes in the Manchester derby and is reviewing its processes to prevent similar errors in the future.