Leeds United will be hoping for a much better performance from the referee at Sunderland than the one they were on the wrong end of against Norwich City.
Leeds were held to a 1-1 draw by the Canaries at Carrow Road but felt aggrieved by a number of the decisions which against them throughout the 90 minutes.
Though Joe Rodon could have no complaints about his concession of a penalty, Daniel Farke felt Leeds should’ve had one of their own in the second half.
Wilfried Gnonto was brought down inside the area but instead of Stephen Martin pointing the spot, he instead booked the Italian for his protestations.
Gnonto was one of four Leeds players booked on the night and alongside Joe Rodon and Jayden Bogle is now walking a suspension tightrope. Borja Sainz, meanwhile, somehow escaped without a yellow card after his rash challenge from behind on Brenden Aaronson.
- READ MORE: What Leeds United did for the first time in the club’s entire history in draw at Norwich City
Tim Robinson appointed for Sunderland vs Leeds
Leeds’ trip to Sunderland on Friday night has the potential to be one of the Championship’s games of the season so far, with both sides among the early pace-setters.
Sunderland currently sit top of the table, with Leeds three points and three places further back. Incidentally, appointed referee Tim Robinson is the same as who was in the middle for the two sides’ 0-0 draw at Elland Road in April.
The Black Cats were a far cry from where they are now in that game, sitting deep and time-wasting for much of it, something which Robinson failed to stamp out.
But it was a decision not to award Leeds a penalty which left Farke fuming. With Rodon about to aim a header from a corner towards goal, Sunderland defender Luke O’Nien quite clearly punched the ball away with an out stretched arm.
Despite appeals from everyone in a white shirt and 34,000 Leeds fans, Robinson and the rest of the officials were somehow the only people not to spot the infringement.
In fact, the penalty was so blatant even O’Nien was mocking the fact it was not given, and it’s fair to say Farke was less than impressed post-match.
In what was such a crucial game to Leeds’ promotion hopes, it was this decision that caused Farke to list how many apologies they had received from PGMOL from over the course of the season.
He said: “No and it makes no sense. In general, I never ask for reds, but act earlier with yellows because you send the message they can keep going with fouls. If there is a rule on handballs, then they should follow this.
“Player leant into the ball with their arm in the first half and the second half was not difficult to see.
Six letters with apologies this season for bad decisions. Two more now. Does not help us.
“Two penalties would have used one to win this game. Decisive moment. Credit to Sunderland, in four games they have had clean sheets. First goal is decisive and difficult.”
What is Leeds’ record with Robinson as referee recently
This will be just the fourth time Robinson has refereed Leeds since the promotion season under Marcelo Bielsa.
Alongside his terrible display in the aforementioned Sunderland match, he was also in the middle for Leeds’ 1-0 defeat at Birmingham City last August.
Though rightly so, Robinson awarded Birmingham a 90th minute spot-kick at St. Andrews after a challenge from Dan James.
His only other match in the last four years was the 0-0 Carabao Cup draw at Fulham back in September 2021.
Worringly, Robinson is certainly no stranger to a booking, having dished out 25 in just four matches this term. Nine of those came in his most recent game between Aston Villa and Wolves.
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