While Sunderland’s 3-1 defeat to Fulham was largely seen as self-inflicted, a major point of contention has emerged regarding the penalty that led to the visitors’ decisive second goal.
The frustration among the Black Cats’ faithful isn’t necessarily about Brian Brobbey’s holding foul on Calvin Bassey, but rather the fact that Bassey appeared to be in an offside position when the free kick was taken. Despite visual evidence suggesting he was ahead of the last defender, the Premier League match centre confirmed the goal stood because the foul occurred before any offside offense was technically committed.
Decoding the Offside Law
To understand why the penalty was upheld, one must look at IFAB Law 11.2. According to the rules, a player in an offside position is only penalized if they become “active” by touching the ball or clearly interfering with an opponent’s ability to play it.
The officials determined that because Brobbey fouled Bassey before the latter could touch the ball or engage in a direct challenge for it, the foul took precedence. This is supported by IFAB’s specific guidance:
”A player in an offside position… fouled in the penalty area before playing the ball or challenging an opponent for the ball… [is awarded] a penalty kick. The foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence.”
While the logic of the law remains a heated topic of debate, the PGMOL maintains that the regulations were applied correctly in this instance.
An Escalating Injury Crisis
To make matters worse for manager Regis Le Bris, the loss was overshadowed by a rapidly growing list of casualties. Already reeling from Reinildo’s month-long absence and a pre-match training injury to Dennis Cirkin, Sunderland saw several more players exit the pitch in pain:
- First-Half Exits: Both Nordi Mukiele and Jocelin Ta Bi were forced off early.
- New Concerns: Post-match reports suggest Brian Brobbey and Romaine Mundle are also carrying knocks.
Le Bris admitted it is a “tough period” for the squad but insisted the team must accept the situation and find a way to move forward despite the depleted roster.
