Just after the half-hour mark in Sunderland’s 1-0 victory, Brian Brobbey raised his right arm and appeared to catch Pedro Porro in the face with an elbow.
The incident quickly sparked debate on social media, with one user on X writing: “If Romero does what Brobbey just did he gets a red card and a 15-game ban btw.”
Another commented: “Brobbey has now committed two yellow-card fouls and is still on the pitch, which means he’s scoring the winner in the second half!”
A third added: “Romero would’ve been given a life sentence if he did that.”
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, who has already been sent off twice this season, previously served a four-game suspension between February and March after being shown a red card for a stamp on Casemiro.
However, some fans felt Pedro Porro may have exaggerated the contact, arguing that a yellow card was a fair decision. An Arsenal supporter wrote: “What kind of nonsense commentary is this?
“Brobbey should NEVER have been booked 😂 Porro’s got a grab of him and he just muscles him off!”
Tottenham ultimately suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light, a result that leaves them two points adrift of safety in the relegation zone as they continue to battle for survival.
The loss also marked a difficult start for new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who took charge for the first time just 10 days after replacing Igor Tudor.