Sunderland endured a 3-0 loss to Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.
Keith Hackett, the former PGMOL chief, has suggested that Sunderland full-back Trai Hume could face retrospective action from the FA for an alleged “punch” on Coventry City midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto during the 3-0 defeat in the West Midlands.
The Black Cats suffered their heaviest defeat of the season against Frank Lampard’s play-off contenders, with Haji Wright netting a hat-trick in a dominant performance at the CBS Arena.
However, Hackett believes Sunderland’s woes could have been even worse. Just after the break, with Coventry leading 2-0, the Sky Blues were looking to extend their lead from a corner.
Before the set-piece was taken, a clash in the box left Sakamoto on the floor, and replays seemed to show Hume striking him in the chest.
What did Keith Hackett say about a potential ban for Sunderland defender Trai Hume?
At the time, referee Dean Whitestone booked Hume for his involvement in the altercation, but Hackett has since suggested the Northern Irishman could face a more serious sanction.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett said: “That’s a red card offence, so there is always the likelihood of the FA stepping in.
The Football Association tends to be reluctant to re-referee games in these situations. They’ll likely defer to the match referee’s decision, who issued a yellow card, and stick with that.”
He continued: “But for me, this is precisely the kind of situation where retrospective action is needed to ensure players don’t repeat such behavior in the future.
Hume is lucky to have avoided a red card—he clearly punched his opponent, and that’s a red card offence. He knew exactly what he was doing. I’m waiting to see what the FA does.
Typically, there’s hesitation to overturn these decisions, but I believe this one deserves closer scrutiny. He should be banned for this.”
What did Regis Le Bris say after Sunderland’s defeat to Coventry City?
After the game on Saturday afternoon, Le Bris reflected: “The main message remains the same: if we drop by just 5% or 10% in commitment, willingness, or quality, this league becomes very tough. It can be brutal when you’re not at your best.
Today was a reminder that sometimes you can play poor football and not get punished—but today we were punished. The result is deserved, no complaints. Now, it’s about our response.
When we look at what we’ve built previously, we need to trust that. Today should be considered an accident, but we also need to understand the reasons behind the defeat.”
