Sunderland players ‘not happy’ after what Adam Armstrong did during Southampton clash

Sunderland lost 4-2 away at Southampton in the Championship on Saturday.

Following a 4-2 loss on the road at Southampton on Saturday afternoon, Sunderland has now dropped its past six Championship games; this is the first time the team has done so since 2006.

Due to some careless defending on the first goal, which Stuart Armstrong scored, and a careless foul by Chris Rigg on Ryan Manning, which resulted in a penalty kick for the second, the Black Cats trailed by two goals at the half.

In the 37th minute, Adam Armstrong took the field and scored, however it was a contentious penalty kick.

Adam Armstrong slips on Southampton penalty v Sunderland

Armstrong scored his 19th Championship goal of the season on Saturday afternoon, though many of the Sunderland players believe the penalty should’ve been retaken.

The 27-year-old slipped as he shot towards Anthony Patterson, and it appeared as though Armstrong may have kicked the ball with his standing foot before it hit his shooting foot.

Sunderland players protested the goal as former Newcastle United striker Armstrong celebrated in front of the away end, leaving many Black Cats players furious.

After the break, Romaine Mundle’s attempt deflected into the net for Sunderland, and a Jobe Bellingham screamer brought the Black Cats shockingly back level.

However, Southampton stepped back up and scored two goals quickly through Joe Rothwell to secure a 4-2 victory in the end.

Another call for better officiating in the Football League

Every week now, it seems, there’s calls for VAR in the English Football League, or at least better officiating.

Referee Stuart Attwell would’ve have a clear sight of the spot kick though it would’ve been very difficult to decipher whether or not Armstrong kicked the ball twice, though looking at replays, it certainly seemed like the Sunderland players had a case.

Without doubt, though, VAR would’ve been able to provide a clear answer on the matter, and it was retaken and missed then it could’ve been a very different scoreline.

After that goal, Sunderland appeared to be out of the game, but Mundle pulled one back around the hour mark.

Still, it was going to have been another awful performance all around if not for a lucky deflection and then a magical moment from Bellingham.

The encounter revealed what seems to be bad recruitment decisions made by Sunderland’s owners over the last year or so; Southampton looked confident and well-drilled, especially in the first hour of play, while Sunderland could scarcely keep the ball and offered very little in the way of offensive.

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