New angle of William Saliba penalty incident during Brighton vs Arsenal emerges and it changes everything

Brighton fought back to secure a 1-1 draw against Arsenal after João Pedro converted a controversial penalty in the 61st minute. The Seagulls were trailing following Ethan Nwaneri’s 16th-minute opener before William Saliba’s challenge on Pedro gave the Brazilian a chance to equalize from the spot.

Referee Anthony Taylor immediately awarded the penalty, deeming that Saliba had headbutted Pedro. VAR confirmed the decision, and the Premier League later released a statement:

*”The referee’s call of penalty for a foul by Saliba on João Pedro was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty.”*

However, new reverse-angle footage surfaced online, suggesting Saliba might have made contact with the ball before the clash of heads. Fans on X were quick to share their divided opinions.

One fan argued:

*”The ball literally hits Saliba’s head before Saliba’s head makes contact with Pedro. They contest a header, both players make contact with the ball and each other.”*

Another disagreed, saying:

*”So it’s a dangerous follow-through then. They are given all the time. The problem is you very rarely see these where the attacker wins the ball first. Normally the defender wins the ball, attacker makes contact, and a free kick is given.”*

A third fan expressed frustration with officiating, commenting:

*”Imagine if Arsenal got this penalty. It would feel like a gift. We never get anything like this. There’s definitely biased refereeing going on.”*

Others criticized Arsenal’s performance, with one fan stating:

*”He was late to the ball, and it was a penalty. Probably should have lost this 3-1 if Brighton could hit their easy chances. ABYSMAL performance from Arsenal. Trying to sit on a 1-goal lead wasting time. This is not a title-contending team.”*

The draw leaves Arsenal in second place, five points behind Liverpool, who have two games in hand. Arsenal will now shift focus to their upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle on Tuesday, followed by an FA Cup clash with Manchester United on Sunday, January 12.