Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has explained why Sunderland were not awarded a penalty during their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday.

The incident came in the second half when referee Sam Barrott halted a Sunderland corner to caution Villa defender Ian Maatsen for grappling with Dan Ballard inside the area. Many in the stands expected a spot-kick to follow, but none was given.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher suggested the official’s decision was more about control than punishment.
“He’s seen the holding and he’s simply had enough of it,” Gallagher said. “By stopping the game, he’s sending a message — firstly to Maatsen, and secondly to everyone else. It’s a clear warning that this behaviour won’t be tolerated. In fact, this is exactly what people have been asking referees to do — clamp down on holding at set pieces before the ball is in play.”

Not everyone agreed with that stance. Pundit Jay Bothroyd argued that referees shouldn’t intervene in such a way.
“At the start of every season, officials explain to clubs what counts as a foul or a penalty. For me, there’s no need for a warning. If a player’s holding, give the penalty,” Bothroyd said. “You don’t warn a player before showing a yellow card for a tackle — you just act. The same principle should apply here.”

Gallagher countered that Barrott’s approach was effective in setting boundaries early on. “Corners are notorious for holding,” he explained. “By booking Maatsen, Barrott made his threshold clear to all the players. You could see the difference at the very next corner — everyone focused on the ball rather than wrestling. It worked as intended.”

The penalty debate wasn’t the only refereeing controversy in Sunderland’s draw. Earlier in the match, defender Reinildo Mandava was sent off for lashing out at Matty Cash. On that call, Bothroyd backed the referee.
“It was silly from Reinildo,” he said. “Cash may have been a little late in the challenge, but there’s no excuse for that reaction. As soon as he kicked out, the red card was inevitable. He let his teammates down, although credit to Sunderland — they still dug deep and might even have snatched the win.”