Keith Hackett Furious at Ibrahima Konaté Incident in Liverpool Win vs Sunderland: 'Our Game is Being Tarnished'

In Liverpool's hard-fought 1-0 Premier League victory over Sunderland on Wednesday, former FIFA referee and ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett expressed outrage over an incident involving defender Ibrahima Konaté and Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.[1][3]

Sunderland, unbeaten at home in the 2025-26 season, saw their record end as Virgil van Dijk headed the winner in the 60th minute, easing pressure on manager Arne Slot amid recent poor form.[1] The controversy erupted on the stroke of half-time when Brobbey, locked in a physical battle with Konaté throughout the first half, burst into the box to meet a cross.[1][3]

Brobbey appeared to get ahead of Konaté before falling amid a jostle for position. Referee Chris Kavanagh waved play on, and VAR official Darren England upheld the decision after review.[1][3] Hackett, who recently called for Brobbey's red card in Sunderland's loss to Arsenal, praised the non-call on penalty but insisted a free-kick to Sunderland was warranted.[1]

“Our game is getting tarnished by players who want to wrestle each other rather than play football,” Hackett told Football Insider. “I can fully understand why both the referee and VAR did not intervene. Frankly, I would have taken a safety-first approach and awarded a free-kick to the defending team.”[1]

Hackett decried the growing trend of grappling in the Premier League, linking it to PGMOL's leniency on holding during set-pieces, which encourages such antics.[1][2] He argued officials are conditioned to ignore fouls where arms wrap around opponents, preventing fair play.[2]

Elsewhere, Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike escaped a yellow for grappling with Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs, who exaggerated a neck grab.[3] Hackett's comments highlight officiating inconsistencies tarnishing the game's integrity.[1][2][3]

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