According to a report by Football London on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Chelsea's narrow defeat to Sunderland has sparked controversy over a penalty appeal involving Cole Palmer that was turned down by the match officials.

The incident occurred during Sunday's match when Sunderland winger Luke O'Nien appeared to foul Palmer inside the penalty area. However, referee Jarred Gillett allowed play to continue, while the video assistant referees decided against reviewing the incident or recommending a penalty.

Chelsea were later penalised after Levi Colwill was judged to have fouled Brian Brobbey, despite the apparent lack of contact between the two players. Sunderland were awarded a spot kick, which Enzo Le Fee converted to secure a 1-0 victory.

The decision proved decisive and increased Chelsea's frustration following the defeat.

Former Chelsea midfielder Jody Morris has since criticised former referee Dermot Gallagher after he defended the officials' handling of the incident involving Palmer.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Gallagher argued that Sunderland midfielder Jules Ahoka had already been penalised by Gillett before O'Nien's challenge on Palmer. He therefore maintained that the referee could not award another penalty for the subsequent incident.

Gallagher explained that play had already been stopped because the referee had awarded Ahoka a foul in that area. He added that any further physical contact would only become relevant if it involved violent conduct or serious foul play.

He maintained that Ahoka had committed the initial offence and that O'Nien's challenge occurred afterwards.

However, fellow television pundits Tim Sherwood and Jay Bothroyd disagreed with Gallagher's assessment, insisting that Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty.

Questions were also raised over whether Gillett had clearly indicated that he had awarded Ahoka a free kick before the challenge on Palmer. Critics also questioned why VAR did not independently establish whether O'Nien's contact with Palmer occurred inside the penalty area.

Morris expressed disbelief at the decision, criticising both the referee and the video officials for failing to award Chelsea a penalty.

He also challenged Gallagher's explanation of the incident, describing his assessment as "absolutely pathetic" and accusing him of misunderstanding what had happened.

"The referee didn't call a foul, and Dermot Gallagher has no idea," he continued.