Why VAR didn’t change Brighton’s penalty Despite the release of new footage, VAR chose not to revise Brighton’s penalty decision in the match against Arsenal…

The reason VAR did not alter the penalty decision awarded to Brighton against Arsenal, despite new footage surfacing, revolves around the assessment made by the officials.

During the match at The Amex, a notable incident occurred when Brighton’s Joao Pedro fell after what appeared to be a minor head collision with Arsenal’s William Saliba.

Referee Anthony Taylor awarded a penalty, prompting a strong reaction from Arsenal players and supporters.

Pedro successfully converted the penalty, maintaining his flawless record from the spot.

This moment proved significant in the title race, providing Liverpool with an opportunity to extend their lead against Manchester United in their upcoming match.

Despite Arsenal fans urging VAR to review the decision, the rationale behind Taylor’s call remained firmly supported.

The VAR team determined that there was insufficient evidence to contradict Taylor’s original decision.

They concluded that Saliba’s contact was enough to justify the penalty, as overturning a call requires clear evidence of an error.

This explanation, however, is unlikely to appease Arsenal supporters, who have pointed to social media and various replays suggesting that Saliba may have touched the ball prior to the collision.

Critics argue that VAR should have taken the time to analyze the footage more thoroughly.

Some replays indicate that Saliba did make slight contact with the ball, yet the force of his collision with Pedro would likely be considered a foul in other areas of the pitch.

Additionally, Arsenal might consider themselves fortunate that Saliba was not shown a red card, as a deliberate headbutt could have warranted such a punishment.

Arsenal finds itself embroiled in another refereeing controversy, and following last season’s disputes with the PGMOL, Mikel Arteta is expected to be quite upset.