VAR review: Was Sunderland’s goal vs. Chelsea offside? Did Gakpo deserve a penalty?

VAR review: Was Sunderland’s goal vs. Chelsea offside? Did Gakpo deserve a penalty?

Chelsea vs. Sunderland

Referee: Andy Madley
VAR: Craig Pawson
Incident: Possible offside in Sunderland’s winning goal
Time: 90+3 minutes

What happened:
Sunderland netted a dramatic stoppage-time winner at Stamford Bridge, but the goal sparked controversy.

Lutsharel Geertruida appeared to be in an offside position, standing directly between scorer Chemsdine Talbi and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez when the ball was struck.

VAR decision:
The VAR review aimed to determine two things: whether Geertruida was indeed offside when the ball was played, and if so, whether he interfered with an opponent — specifically by blocking the goalkeeper’s view or affecting his ability to save the shot.

Although Geertruida was clearly positioned offside and within Sánchez’s line of sight, referee Andy Madley judged that he was directly behind Chelsea defender Reece James.

As a result, the referee concluded that Geertruida did not obstruct Sánchez’s vision. VAR reviewed several camera angles and still frames to confirm Madley’s interpretation, ultimately agreeing that no offside offense had occurred.

Verdict:
This was a rare and complex situation, as Geertruida’s positioning behind James created an optical illusion of interference. Both the on-field referee and VAR correctly applied Law 11 (Offside) in deciding that the goal should stand.

While such cases naturally generate debate, the decision aligned with the spirit of the game — ensuring that goals are not disallowed when no genuine interference takes place.