Arsenal’s penalty against Brighton caused controversy

Brighton fans expressed their anger when Arsenal were awarded a penalty in the first half.

Arsenal’s penalty against Brighton caused controversy

Tariq Lamptey was deemed to have fouled Gabriel Jesus in the penalty area and referee John Brooks did not hesitate to point to the penalty spot. VAR rechecked the situation. Although Lamptey touched the ball first, the referee’s decision was upheld.

Lamptey touched the ball before sweeping it into the legs of Gabriel Jesus

Bukayo Saka successfully took advantage of the penalty to open the match. But Brighton fans were very upset when the referee gave the away team a penalty.

One fan said: “The point of impact was outside the penalty area and Lamptey also touched the ball. It shouldn’t have been a penalty.”

Another person quipped: “Lamptey gets a penalty when he touches the ball while Odegaard doesn’t play basketball. I got it”.

talkSPORT channel host Jason Cundy also criticized the referee’s decision.

“It was a bad decision. At normal speed, you think it’s a penalty. But the slow motion shows that Lamptey touched the ball. It wasn’t a good tackle from Lamptey, and he forced the referee to make a decision. But I think this is a situation where VAR must intervene. It was never a penalty.”

Arsenal is still in a good position in the Premier League championship race. The win over Brighton brought Arteta’s team back to the top of the rankings. They have 1 point more than Liverpool and Man City but are superior in terms of goal difference.