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Unpunished Angulo Forearm on Fernandes Raises New VAR Consistency Questions

The decision has sharpened demands for clearer VAR intervention standards.

Overview

  • Late in Saturday's 0-0 at Sunderland, referee Stuart Attwell showed no card after Nilson Angulo appeared to catch Bruno Fernandes in the face with a forearm, and VAR Peter Bankes let the on-field call stand.
  • Former referee Mike Dean said officials are "scared of going red" and urged a reset after what he called weak decision-making.
  • Ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett called the action illegal and reckless, judged it borderline red because it lacked excessive force, and said it was a minimum yellow.
  • On Match of the Day, Ashley Williams said it should have been a red card and contrasted it with same-day VAR upgrades that sent off players for Fulham and Bournemouth.
  • Coach Michael Carrick said Fernandes complained in the dressing room about the contact after the match, and no retrospective action has been announced.