Trailing 1-0 after Ethan Nwaneri’s 16th-minute goal, Brighton earned a penalty when William Saliba fouled Joao Pedro. ..Continue Reading
The Brazilian converted the penalty in the 61st minute. The decision, however, has sparked mixed reactions among fans.
Initially, it seemed that Saliba, 23, headbutted the Brighton forward, leading referee Anthony Taylor to award the penalty.
Shortly after the incident, the Premier League issued a statement.
“The referee’s call of penalty for a foul by Saliba on João Pedro was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty,” read the statement.
However, new footage from a reverse angle has surfaced on social media, suggesting that Saliba made contact with the ball before the head collision.
Fans quickly took to X to share their views on the incident.
One said: “The ball literally hits Saliba’s head before Saliba’s head makes contact with Pedro. They contest a header, both players make contact with the ball and each other.”
Another disagreed and said: “So it’s a dangerous follow through then. They are given all the time. The problem is you very rarely see these where the attacker wins the ball first. Normally the defender wins the ball, attacker makes contact and a free kick is given.”
A third suggested: “Imagine if Arsenal got this penalty. It would feel like a gift. We never get anything like this. There’s definitely biased refereeing going on.”
While a fourth commented: “All this video shows is Pedro wins the ball before Saliba. Like a tackle where the attacker wins the ball and the defender takes him out. Standard foul. Stop moaning all the time. Focus on your shortcomings instead. You didn’t even have a shot on target in the 2nd half.”
A fifth slammed: “He was late to the ball and it was a penalty. Probably should have lost this 3-1 if Brighton could hit their easy chances. ABYSMAL performance from Arsenal. Trying to sit on a 1 goal lead wasting time. This is not a title contending team.”
The draw leaves Arsenal in second place, five points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand.
Mikel Arteta’s team will next take on Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates on Tuesday, followed by a third-round FA Cup clash against Manchester United on Sunday, January 12.
