Mike Dean reacts instantly to West Ham vs Sunderland controversy

West Ham United were handed a penalty during their Premier League clash with Sunderland on Saturday after Trai Hume was adjudged to have fouled Ollie Scarles inside the box.

Regis Le Bris’ side travelled to the London Stadium on 24 January, but the hosts raced into a commanding position, establishing a two-goal advantage inside the opening half hour.

The flashpoint arrived in the 26th minute when Hume stretched out a leg as Scarles attempted to glide past him in the area, prompting referee Thomas Bramall to point straight to the spot.

The decision was checked by VAR, which upheld the on-field call, and Jarrod Bowen made no mistake from 12 yards to extend West Ham’s lead. The spot-kick came after Crysencio Summerville had already broken the deadlock, putting the Hammers firmly in control early on.

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean was adamant the correct decision had been made, insisting Hume had little room for complaint.

The penalty allowed West Ham to double their advantage, setting the tone for a dominant first-half display that saw Mateus Fernandes add a stunning long-range third before the interval.

Speaking on Sky Sports News on 24 January, Dean explained: “I’d have been surprised if that wasn’t given. It’s awarded on the field, and we saw a very similar incident recently where a defender sticks a leg out and the attacker goes over it.

His leg is there, he’s invited the contact, and the referee has no option. For me, the on-field decision was always going to stand, and it’s a penalty to West Ham.”

Scarles’ inclusion has also been vindicated by Nuno Espirito Santo. Despite El Hadji Malick Diouf returning from AFCON duty with Senegal, the West Ham boss kept faith with the youngster, a decision that clearly paid dividends.

A victory would see the Hammers close the gap on Nottingham Forest to just two points, ahead of Sean Dyche’s side facing Brentford on 25 January, further underlining the importance of the result in their battle up the table.

There had been plenty of pressure on Nuno heading into the contest, with sections of the home support staging a protest by boycotting the opening 15 minutes.

However, the early goals and the penalty appeared to settle nerves inside the London Stadium.

Adding his verdict, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett backed the officials’ call. Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, he said:

“When a defender sticks out a straight leg and makes no attempt to play the ball, the attacker will naturally look to make contact.

That’s exactly what happened here, so the referee had no choice but to award the penalty. VAR also acted correctly by not getting involved.”

West Ham supporters will now be hoping their side can maintain focus after the break and see out the game with a clean sheet to cap off an impressive performance.