Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brighton after Joao Pedro scored an equaliser from the penalty spot, with the Seagulls awarded a spot kick after a clash of heads between Pedro and William Saliba
Arsenal fans were left fuming after Brighton were awarded a controversial penalty for a William Saliba foul on Joao Pedro.
Referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after Pedro flicked the ball up in the air and Saliba attempted to header it away. However, he failed to make any contact with the ball and essentially headbutted Pedro instead.
The Brighton star promptly converted the spot kick to make it 1-1 and earn the Seagulls a point, with former Arsenal striker Alan Smith branded the incident “unusual” while on commentary for Sky Sports.
Smith said: “Head on head. It’s an unusual penalty. You don’t often seen that but he catches the Brighton man .The referee had a clear line of sight on the penalty but it was unusual.
“I can’t remember seeing a penalty given in that fashion but I don’t want to argue with it. If it was a clash with the feet, you wouldn’t think twice.” On social media, the Premier League Match Centre said there was “sufficient contact for a penalty”.
They wrote: “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.”
However, many Arsenal fans were not happy with the decision, with one fuming: “What can Saliba actually do in that penalty. The ball is right in front of his head. Then Joao Pedro’s head is inserted in front of him. Collisions happen during set pieces all the time without the ref caring one bit”.
A second claimed: “Only a pen if you do it in an Arsenal shirt.” A third wrote: “Balls in the air to be won. More of a clash of heads if Saliba went down holding his head as well, wouldn’t have been given.”
Another added: “Saliba well within his rights to go for that. If he went down as well as Pedro then you can guarantee Taylor blows and gives us a drop ball. Absolute laughable decision.”
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