Brighton 1-1 Arsenal: Mikel Arteta ‘very disappointed’ with Joao Pedro penalty from William Saliba foul
João Pedro scored a crucial penalty after a contentious clash with William Saliba during a high-ball contest in Brighton’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal. Saliba made slight contact with the ball but collided with Pedro’s head, prompting referee Anthony Taylor to award the penalty, a decision upheld by VAR due to “sufficient contact.”
Pedro converted the spot kick to cancel out Ethan Nwaneri’s early opener, leaving Arsenal five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, having played two more games.
A visibly frustrated Mikel Arteta strongly disagreed with the penalty call. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Arteta said. “Saliba touches the ball, and for me, it’s a clear no penalty.”
In his post-match press conference, Arteta added, “The game turned on a decision that was very disappointing. I asked the players if they’d seen anything like it, and nobody had.”
