Match officials on microphone: VAR took seven seconds to agree Brighton’s controversial penalty decision against Arsenal | Football news
VAR took just seven seconds to determine that Brighton’s controversial penalty against Arsenal was correct, with PGMOL boss Howard Webb claiming it was the right call.
With Arsenal leading 1-0 and closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, Joao Pedro and William Saliba clashed heads in the penalty area as Anthony Taylor awarded a penalty, despite the Gunners defender touching the ball.
The VAR confirmed the decision to award a penalty, and Pedro scored from the spot to give Brighton a 1-1 draw.
After the game, Mikel Arteta was “very disappointed” not only with the decision to award a penalty for Saliba’s touch, but also with the time it took the video referee to make his decision.
“When you look at the incident, the distance, the player, Joao Pedro touching the ball, Saliba touching the ball, you can see the contact.”
Asked if he thought VAR should have overturned the decision, he replied: “If I expect it? I checked and after three seconds they said they already checked. It seems quick.”
In the latest episode Microphone for match officialsfootage shows Darren England’s VAR taking just seven seconds between announcements to watch the incident and then confirming to referee Taylor that he had made the right decision.
Speaking on the programme, Webb agreed with the decision to award the penalty, arguing that Saliba’s touch of the ball did not matter because the ball hit a defender.
According to Webb, Saliba did not “play” the ball despite the contact and Pedro “may have” regained possession despite Saliba’s intervention taking the ball away from the Brighton striker.
“That’s late contact by someone who didn’t play the ball himself,” Webb said. “The ball touched him, but he didn’t play. When you break it like that, it’s a foul.”
While trying to justify the correct decision, Webb claimed Arsenal were awarded a similar penalty in the same game last season, when Gabriel Jesus was awarded a penalty despite Tariq Lamptey touching the ball just before bringing him down last April.
“Jesus still moved on that ball in the same way as Pedro power were moving toward that ball,” Webb argued. “There are similarities in terms of that touch, yes, that touch happened, but that doesn’t invalidate the award of a penalty kick either way. Both are penalties.”
Time – Transcript
CONTACT: Joao Pedro collides with William Saliba
Four seconds later: Anthony Taylor blows the whistle to award a penalty. He says: “He hit his head. The penalty is a decision on the field.”
Five seconds later: VAR says: “I am checking the penalty decision on the pitch.”
A second later: VAR says: “Clean. Clean penalty. Head on head.”
Six seconds later: VAR says: Confirming on-field penalty decision, just checking APP (attacking possession phase)
VAR then checks if Yankubah Minteh committed a foul on Gabriel in the build-up, then checks if Joao Pedro was handballed.
A minute later, when VAR looks at the Pedro-Saliba incident again and doesn’t notice Saliba’s touch, VAR says: “I confirm the penalty decision on the pitch. Review complete.”
Webb’s judgment in its entirety
PGMOL Chief Howard Webb:
“I can’t remember anything like this, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It means it’s unusual. What you see in this situation are two players going towards the ball in the air. Pedro picks it up, he and Saliba go towards the ball, and Pedro sends his head to Saliba.
“Saliba has the ball hit on his head and then it goes to the head of Pedro. It comes late to Pedro, who falls.
“It’s late contact by someone who didn’t play the ball himself. The ball touched him, but he didn’t play. And Pedro goes down.
“When you break it like that, it’s a foul. I know there’s been a split of opinion, but I’ve heard a lot of people see it that way, it’s late contact from a player who failed to play the ball and made contact with a player in the penalty box space.
“If he heads the ball first on that loose ball and there is a collision, I have no problem with that and then there is a collision. That didn’t happen.
“Pedro comes first and sends a header to Saliba. Saliba goes to Pedro, the ball grazes his head, but he then goes to Pedro[‘s path].
“That touch on the ball does not negate the possible award of a penalty. We have seen other examples where the ball can touch a player but there is still heavy contact going forward and it is a penalty.”
“If a player clears the ball or heads it, you’re looking at something different. That’s not happening here.
“Pedro heads the ball to Saliba, who goes into Pedro and brings him down. For that reason, this is a very acceptable penalty.”
Were Arsenal rightly or wrongly awarded a similar penalty against Brighton last season?
Webb and Mic’d Up Match Officials host Michael Owen then discussed a similar incident between the two teams last season.
Last April, Arsenal were awarded a penalty at Brighton, where Tariq Lamptey touched the ball and then brought down Gabriel Jesus. VAR checked the decision and agreed with the call to the field.
“How ironic that it’s the same two teams in the same two games in the same place,” Webb said.
“This was awarded as a penalty for Arsenal – fully accepted as such – because they saw Jesus hit the ball. Yes, it hit Lamptey’s leg, but that follow-up brought him down.
“Jesus still moved on that ball in the same way as Pedro power were moving on that ball. There are similarities in terms of that touch, yes that touch happened, but that does not invalidate the award of a penalty kick in either case. Both are penalties.”
Webb discusses more incidents on Match Officials Mic’d Up
Howard Webb also looked at five other Premier League incidents in the latest edition of Match Officials Mic’d Up. Press play on the videos below to hear his thoughts…
