João Pedro’s penalty helped Brighton earn a tough 1-1 draw against Arsenal following a contentious moment at the Amex Stadium. The spot kick was awarded after William Saliba was judged to have unintentionally headbutted Pedro in the box while challenging for a high ball.
Referee Anthony Taylor immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and after a quick VAR review, the decision was upheld. The Premier League later issued a statement supporting the ruling:
“The referee’s penalty decision for a foul by Saliba on João Pedro was reviewed and confirmed by VAR, which determined there was enough contact to award the penalty.”
Ethan Nwaneri had given Arsenal the lead in the first half, but João Pedro’s calm penalty in the second half equalized for Brighton, proving crucial to the final result.
The incident sparked mixed reactions among fans on social media, with opinions split on the fairness of the penalty decision. One fan commented, “Just like any other tackle really. The ball was there to be won, Pedro got it first, and Saliba was late. Correct decision.”
Another fan disagreed, tweeting, “Sorry, but that’s an incredibly soft penalty. Saliba is trying to head the ball, and there’s just a slight graze of João Pedro’s head.”
Others supported the referee’s decision, with one writing, “Not sure why there’s any complaint about that penalty. Saliba heads João Pedro and misses the ball completely… Blatant penalty.”
The draw allowed Arsenal to reduce the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool by just one point. Brighton, on the other hand, moved up into the top half of the table, now in 10th place.
