Two games at the Stadium of Light. Two penalty-area incidents. Two very different outcomes.

Against Arsenal, Sunderland were awarded a penalty when Ezri Konsa was judged to have held Dan Ballard inside the box. VAR checked the incident and confirmed the referee’s decision. The call proved controversial, with Arsenal later seeking an explanation from Pro Ref over why the contact was considered enough for a penalty.

Just days later, Sunderland faced AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League. Another incident inside the penalty area involved contact between attacker and defender, but this time no penalty was awarded.

The two situations are not identical, and that matters. Referees have to judge the nature of the contact, who initiates it and whether it is enough to constitute an offence. But seeing the incidents side by side raises a legitimate question about where that threshold sits.

Was there enough difference between the two challenges to justify different outcomes? Or should they have been treated the same way?

Watch both incidents before voting: were the two decisions consistent?