Sunderland got through their game against Derby County with relative ease on Tuesday night, eventually winning 1-0. Though a 2-0 scoreline may have been a more accurate reading. For a while, it was 2-0.
Wilson Isidor was looking to get back on to scoresheet after his double penalty miss against Burnley in the previous game. And in the second half of the game at Pride Park, the Frenchman scored what was his ninth Championship goal of the season, only for it to be ruled out several minutes later.
A ball came over the top from Jobe Bellingham, Enzo Le Fee controlled it and laid it into the path of Isidor who fired home. The decision took several minutes to confirm and all the while, play was going on. It looked as though VAR was present in the Championship for a brief moment.
Fans, players, and even Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris couldn’t figure out exactly why the goal was disallowed, and why the decision was confirmed so long after the goal was initially given.
Regis Le Bris reacts to Wilson Isidor’s disallowed goal vs Derby County
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle after the game, Le Bris was asked why Isidor’s goal was ruled out. But the Black Cats boss doesn’t know. He was never given an exact reason.
Le Bris said: “I don’t know, really. Maybe with VAR we could analyse the first ball and maybe an offside, but I don’t think it was that decision. It was higher up the pitch and at the moment we don’t know.”
Did Enzo Le Fee handle the ball in the build up to Wilson Isidor’s disallowed goal vs Derby County?
Many watching thought that the goal may have been disallowed because Le Fee handled the ball in the build up, which he appeared to do.
The ball bounced up quickly at Le Fee whose arm was raised in a quite unnatural position; although harsh, it would explain why the goal was disallowed.
Though the FA ruling around handball offences remain somewhat vague and confusing.
Per the laws of the game and the FA rules (Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct), it is an offence is a player “scores in the opponents’ goal immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.”
Assuming that rule still applies if it’s another player (in this case Isidor), who scores in the opponents’ goal immediately after the ball is handled, the goal would have grounds to be disallowed.
Wilson Isidor’s goal vs Derby County was ruled out for offside
However, the emerging line appears to be that Isidor’s goal against Derby County was ruled out for offside. Derby County’s official X account posted that the goal was ruled out for offside, so too did Sunderland’s.
Then after the game, footage has emerged of Isidor approaching referee Sam Allison who then appeared to mouth the word ‘offside’ to the Frenchman (see embedded post below).
When Bellingham played the ball over the top which Le Fee actually got on the end of, it looked as though Derby’s Craig Forsyth was playing Isidor onside.
It’s just about visible from the highlights of the game (see bottom of article) and several have posted pictures on social media which appear to show Isidor being played onside, with Le Fee well onside too.
What happened with that goal though could remain a mystery for some time. To rule out a goal so long after it was given, whist play was still continuing, suggests that some kind of video replay was used to rule it out.
VAR is not installed in the Championship and after scenarios like this, there will be very few calls for VAR to be installed anytime soon.