Premier League release statement following ‘craziest’ foul of the season during Brighton vs Arsenal

João Pedro’s penalty secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw for Brighton against Arsenal after a contentious incident at the Amex Stadium. The penalty was awarded following an incident in which William Saliba was deemed to have unintentionally headbutted Pedro in the box while contesting a high ball.

Referee Anthony Taylor immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and after a review, VAR confirmed the decision. The Premier League later released a statement supporting the call:

“The referee’s penalty decision for a foul by Saliba on João Pedro was reviewed and upheld by VAR, which determined there was enough contact to warrant the penalty.”

Ethan Nwaneri had given Arsenal the lead in the first half, but Pedro’s composed penalty in the second half leveled the score, resulting in the final draw.

The incident sparked debate on social media, with fans offering differing views on the fairness of the penalty. One fan commented, “It’s just like any other tackle. The ball was there to be won, Pedro got to it first, and Saliba was late. Correct call.”

Another fan disagreed, tweeting, “That’s such a soft penalty. Saliba was going for the header, and there was only the slightest contact with Joao Pedro’s head.”

Other supporters backed the referee’s decision, with one saying, “Not sure why there’s any complaints about that penalty. Saliba heads Joao Pedro and misses the ball completely… Clear penalty.”

Following the draw, Arsenal closed the gap to league leaders Liverpool by just one point, while Brighton climbed to 10th place in the standings.