Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, with both of the game's biggest moments coming from penalty decisions. Cole Palmer was denied at one end after VAR ruled any contact happened outside the area, then Enzo Le Fée scored from the spot in the 36th minute after Brian Brobbey went down under pressure from Levi Colwill. The result moved Sunderland off the bottom and knocked Chelsea out of the top four.

The two calls that settled the match

This was not a game decided by a flowing move or a late scramble. It turned on how the officials read contact in both boxes, and Chelsea will feel the first one went against them.

Palmer's penalty appeal was waved away, with VAR deciding that any contact had come outside the area. Chris Sutton, quoted by si.com, said: "They should be hard done by on the Cole Palmer decision. It’s not a penalty as I think the initial contact is outside the box, but it is a foul. Jarred Gillett and VAR decided to play on."

That is the awkward part for Chelsea. There is support for the decision not to award a penalty, but there is also a credible case that Palmer should at least have had a free-kick in a dangerous position.

At the other end, Sunderland got the call that mattered. Brobbey tangled with Colwill, went down, and Le Fée converted the penalty in the 36th minute for the only goal of Sunderland vs Chelsea.

Darren Cann, quoted by independent.co.uk, said: "Brobbey and Levi Colwill were tussling outside the box and then it appeared there was lower leg contact on Brobbey which brought him down." Cann also backed the referee's angle on it, adding: "Gillett was in the perfect position to see the infringement and award the penalty."

Chelsea can complain about consistency, but the stronger case from the available reporting sits with Sunderland's award being correctly given. The Palmer incident is the one that will keep the argument going.

What the result does to both teams

The significance for Sunderland goes beyond one tight win. This was their first Premier League victory in 8 games, and it came after they had lost five of their previous six in the league. A scrappy 1-0 counted just the same for a side trying to get out of trouble.

Le Fée now has 3 Premier League goals this season, while Brobbey has 3 goals from 8 league appearances and gave Sunderland the direct running they needed for the decisive moment.

There was disruption too. Granit Xhaka went off after 4 minutes, and Colwill was substituted at half-time after conceding the penalty. Neither detail helped the flow of the game, but Chelsea still did not do enough with the ball.

Before kick-off, Chelsea were fourth on 16 points. This defeat cost them that place, which is the bigger issue than any one refereeing call. Sutton's verdict on the overall performance, quoted by standard.co.uk, was blunt: "The truth is Chelsea have been second best."

That felt right. Chelsea had Palmer, who now has 3 league goals and 3 assists this season, but too much of their threat rested on a single disputed moment. Sunderland, by contrast, got the break they needed and took it.

Sunderland leave with a win that drags them off the bottom. Chelsea leave with the Palmer appeal still open to debate, and the 36th-minute penalty from Le Fée still deciding the scoreline.

FAQ

Why was Cole Palmer not given a penalty against Sunderland?

Cole Palmer's appeal was rejected after VAR ruled that any contact happened outside the penalty area. Chris Sutton said Chelsea were unfortunate because he felt it was a foul, but not a penalty if the initial contact was outside the box.

Why did Sunderland get a penalty against Chelsea?

Sunderland were awarded a first-half penalty after Brian Brobbey's tussle with Levi Colwill. Darren Cann, quoted by independent.co.uk, said there was lower-leg contact on Brobbey and backed Jarred Gillett's decision to award the spot-kick.

Did Sunderland beat Chelsea with an open-play goal?

No. Sunderland's only goal in the 1-0 win was a penalty. Enzo Le Fée converted in the 36th minute after Brobbey won the spot-kick against Levi Colwill.

How important was Sunderland's win over Chelsea?

It was a big result at both ends of the table. Sunderland moved off the bottom with a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, and it was their first Premier League victory in 8 games. Chelsea, who started the day fourth, lost their place in the top four.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →