The Premier League landscape has dramatically shifted as a penalty for a handball in the box was missed by the referee, turning the promoted underdog's 3 points into just 1, yet they still climb to 4th place.

At 4 a.m. Beijing time on November 4th, during the 10th round of the Premier League, promoted Sunderland faced Everton at home. With the Black Cats requiring a victory to leapfrog Manchester City into second place, this game was highly anticipated.

In the first half, Ghana’s early shot caused danger, and Ndiaye broke the deadlock for Everton. Barry missed a great chance in front of goal, leaving Sunderland trailing 0-1 at halftime. In the second half, Xhaka’s shot leveled the score for Sunderland, while Keane’s handball in the penalty area went unpunished by the referee, allowing Everton to escape a crucial penalty.

The match ended 1-1 between Sunderland and Everton. Although the three points turned into just one, Sunderland still rose to fourth place in the Premier League standings.

Sunderland held 61% possession, outshot Everton 17 to 8, and had 3 shots on target compared to Everton’s 2, clearly dominating the match. However, Everton defender Keane’s handball in the box was ignored by the referee, who seemingly turned a blind eye. The Black Cats had a real chance to defeat the Toffees at home and break into the Premier League’s top two, which makes the missed call even more regrettable.

In my personal opinion, the Premier League is the most exciting to watch and everything is great—except there are far too many instances of referees turning a blind eye.

Fans of the Premier League know that in the past two seasons, all three promoted teams were relegated, but this season’s promoted clubs prepared early for a tough survival battle. Especially the “Black Cats,” who quickly became the strongest dark horse. Sunderland signed several key players this season, essentially overhauling their starting lineup, similar to Nottingham Forest last season. With former Arsenal captain Xhaka anchoring midfield, the Black Cats have impressive fighting strength. After 10 rounds, Sunderland has 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, totaling 18 points and sitting fourth—just one point behind second-placed Manchester City and level on points with third-placed Liverpool. Perhaps no one expected at the start of the season that after 10 rounds, promoted Sunderland would be ahead of the big three clubs Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester United!