He Didn’t Look At The Ball; The Art Of 2026 Football

Does Anyone Know What Makes a Penalty Now?

Let’s get the elephant out the room from the first sentence.

I am an Arsenal fan. I’m also a rare breed - according to some - because I often get referred to as a ‘Gooner who doesn’t talk shit’. A compliment is a compliment.

This stretched all the way to my appearances on The Overlap, where I was genuinely surprised by the comments who felt I was well balanced when it came to the club. And then there’s my own Arsenal WhatsApp group. They do get annoyed at me for the above.

“The referee is clearly out to get us, Simon. Why don’t you agree!!1!”

I felt it was important for me to set that scene as we turn our attention to the weekend because, honestly, what on earth was that?

Sunderland PENALTY.

Look at Ballard pulling Konsa down with him. How did VAR look at this and agree with the onfield referee? pic.twitter.com/lLoE8IvrN2

— Eminent Gooner (@EminentGooner) September 12, 2026

We’re never going to agree about the so-called ‘judo roll’ during Arsenal vs Sunderland because there’s bias all over the shop. If you don’t really have a dog in the fight, seeing Sunderland get three points is far more exciting, whereas of course Arsenal fans support their team. That’s the whole point of getting so deep into this madness. It’s the equivalent of ‘I can’t believe they celebrated that much’. Celebrate it all. If we’re not using football as the wonderful distraction it is, we're doing this wrong.

So, with that said, Ezri Konsa was looking at the ball before he and Dan Ballard got into it during that now fateful corner. I’m happy to debate decisions till the cows come home, but don’t make me feel like I’m going blind and/or crazy.

I know Konza was doing this because I saw him do it. Multiple times. I watched it over and over thanks to social media - and the fact I have a problem.

I though that maybe I DID make an error here but no. His eyes are fixated on the flight of the object known as the ‘ball of foot’. Or football. Either is fine.

I just don’t understand where this back and forth came from, when the evidence is so ironically staring you in the face.

And I get it. Someone drops a hot take on social media and then everyone else runs with it. “It’ll do” becomes a thought process and it allows anyone to prove their point no matter what. That does beg the question where all this ends, though, because why not say Konsa spotted an alien, hence he was not looking at the ball. Just keep on going down Fairy Lane to Tumbletown.

We already know what the plans of John Brooks & Stuart Attwell were

In no world should that have been a penalty after Ballard pulled down Konsa pic.twitter.com/SfKlRAp7G5

— Dlanor_Jay (@dlanor_jay) September 13, 2026

Moving on, there’s still chats to be had with scrapping at corners because there’s no rhyme or reason to any of it. If you want to tell me what we saw was tomfoolery, fine. But if all of a sudden this equates to a penalty then something bizarre happened over the weekend, because this was the only incident of this ilk that made the headlines. You’d have to give 5 penalties a game for the amount of tussling that goes on during set pieces.

I would say that Ballard initiates the contact - but once again, that could be my favouritism shining through - when the wrestling begins. Believe you me, if anyone knows about wrestling it’s me…

When is Enough, Enough?

If the Premier League wants to begin a wave of decisions where contact inside the box becomes a foul, though, you’ve got to apply it consistently. Otherwise what’s the rule? That seemed to be what got to Mikel Arteta, too. We’ve been told A. Now it’s B. What’s to stop it being C? Exactly.

Ultimately it’s null and void because 1) Sunderland didn’t score the penalty and 2) By next weekend no one will care. There will be more flying knees in the box and yet not one spot kick will be given. Before you know it, it’ll be December and we’ll be back to talking about player fatigue and why Chelsea are once again linked with every footballer. Sunrise, sunset.

I’m not saying Arsenal are alone in this either - look at the nonsense that happened during the Manchester Derby, which did change the outcome.

I don’t even call it a technology error because it’s human usage that’s under the spotlight. Humans also apologised to Manchester United before Monday rolled around. Whoops…!

🚨 MAJOR BREAKING! 🤯

Pro Ref acknowledge an “error of judgment” over Erling Haaland’s goal against Manchester United.

• Haaland was found to be onside following the VAR check.

• VAR did not recognise the likely impact of Enzo Fernández’s offside position.

• An on-field… pic.twitter.com/ZSv4Iz8TbM

— Polymarket FC (@PolymarketFC) September 13, 2026

Realistically we should get over it, because it’s the same every year, but it would be nice if we could all be on the same page. That seems the only way to reverse the misfortune. That won’t happen, though. It’s football.

We’re tribal until the end.