A night of high drama at the Stadium of Light ended in bitter controversy and heartbreak for Sunderland, as a staggering 95th-minute VAR decision robbed them of a potential equaliser against Premier League side Brentford.
The Black Cats, who had fought valiantly to come back from a goal down, thought they had been handed a golden opportunity to force a replay when the referee pointed to the spot in the dying moments of added time. Striker Nazariy Rusyn went down under a challenge from Nathan Collins, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
However, their elation was cruelly cut short. In a moment that will be debated for weeks to come, Video Assistant Referee Jarred Gillett advised on-pitch official Craig Pawson to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After a lengthy delay that stretched the tension to breaking point, Pawson shockingly overturned his original decision.
The reversal meant Brentford's 2-1 lead would stand, sending Thomas Frank's top-flight team through to the fourth round and condemning the Championship outfit to a gut-wrenching defeat. The Bees had taken the lead through a Ivan Toney penalty before Jack Clarke's superb second-half strike levelled the tie, setting up the grandstand finish.
The final whistle was met with a cacophony of boos from the disbelieving Sunderland faithful, who had just witnessed one of the most brutal uses of the video review system. Manager Michael Beale was left speechless on the touchline, his side's heroic effort ultimately rendered meaningless by technology.
