According to a report by the Evening Standard on Monday, November 9, 2026, Chelsea have been given a fresh verdict on three controversial refereeing decisions during their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, including the penalty awarded against them and two incidents involving Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher reviewed the incidents alongside former footballers Tim Sherwood and Jay Bothroyd on Sky Sports' Ref Watch programme.

Sunderland secured all three points at the Stadium of Light on Sunday through an Enzo Le Fee penalty in the first half after Levi Colwill was penalised for bringing down Brian Brobbey inside the Chelsea penalty area.

The incident began with both players holding each other's shirts outside the box before Brobbey moved ahead of Colwill. The Chelsea defender continued pulling his opponent, who eventually went to ground.

Gallagher supported the referee's decision to award a penalty, explaining that Colwill's continued contact after Brobbey gained an advantage was sufficient to warrant the spot-kick. He also pointed out that the defender clipped the Sunderland striker's heels.

Sherwood and Bothroyd equally agreed that Colwill had committed a foul, although Sherwood noted that both players were initially involved in holding each other. However, Chelsea were left frustrated after they were denied a penalty following a challenge on Palmer by Luke O'Nien near the Sunderland penalty area.

Gallagher explained that referee Jarred Gillett identified Jules Ahoka as the first player to commit a foul against the Chelsea midfielder. Although closer examination showed that O'Nien's boot made contact with Palmer inside the penalty area, the referee had already identified Ahoka as the offending player.

Gallagher said VAR could not intervene because the initial decision had been made against Ahoka, while the subsequent contact from O'Nien did not meet the threshold for serious foul play that would allow further action.

The former referee also addressed the final controversial moment involving Chelsea forward Morgan Rogers and Sunderland defender Trai Hume. Rogers appeared to make contact with Hume's head using his knee while walking past the defender, who was lying on the ground.

However, Gallagher was unwilling to conclude that the Chelsea player deliberately targeted his opponent, noting that the wider camera angle showed Rogers was not looking at Hume.

He maintained that only Rogers knew whether the contact was intentional or accidental. The three incidents have provided further discussion following Chelsea's disappointing defeat at the Stadium of Light.