Arsenal fans are convinced that William Saliba managed to win the ball with a header before Anthony Taylor awarded a penalty to Brighton.
The Gunners were held to a draw by the Seagulls for the second time this Premier League season, having drawn 1-1 in the reverse fixture too.
Ethan Nwaneri gave Arsenal the lead in the first half, but there was a clear twist in the tale to come at the Amex Stadium.
William Saliba challenged for a header in the penalty box with Joao Pedro but clashed heads with the Brighton striker on the follow-through.
Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot, awarding a penalty which was dispatched by Pedro to earn his side a point.
The Arsenal fans aren’t convinced it was a spot kick though.
- READ MORE: Arsenal player ratings vs Brighton – Ethan Nwaneri shines but several stars land low scores in draw
Arsenal fans frustrated with penalty call against Brighton
Arsenal supporters went on to vent their frustration on social media after the match against Brighton, believing there wasn’t a penalty that should’ve been awarded.
One supporter claimed that Saliba won the ball before making contact with Pedro, stating: “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. Anyone trying to justify this is the problem, and why it never improves.”
It suggests that VAR missed the decision, with other fans going on to vent their annoyance at the call.
“How on earth is that a penalty ? Absolute joke,” one fan said, with another claiming: “File that penalty decision as another one under the “never been seen before and will never be seen again”.”
One supporter claimed: “Conceding a penalty for a clash of heads? Might have seen it all now.”
While another added: “A one in a billion penalty against Arsenal. I am shocked,” and “There’s evidence from the Newcastle and Chelsea games to prove that the penalty was soft.”
It meant more dropped points for Arsenal against Brighton, and more ground potentially lost in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal fans must forget penalty call
While there are some clear frustrations over the penalty itself, the wider issues this season for Arsenal have come despite the referee calls, not because of them.
The Gunners struggled in the second half against Brighton, with their performance levels not good enough for a title-winning team.
Throughout the campaign, they haven’t been able to find consistent results with an inability to break teams down.
The issues with harsh calls are there to be had, but there are wider issues to be dealt with.
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