Referee Anthony Taylor was right to award a penalty for Brighton and Hove Albion against Arsenal, according to PGMOL chief Howard Webb.
A spot-kick was given to the home side in Saturday’s 1-1 draw after Arsenal defender William Saliba collided his head with Joao Pedro’s.
Replays appeared to show Saliba making contact with the ball before Joao Pedro’s head, with Mikel Arteta later left fuming by the decision.
“I’ve never seen a decision like this in my career,” the Arsenal manager said in his post-match press conference.
Webb, the head of Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) — the body responsible for refereeing in English football, said Taylor made the correct call as Saliba’s contact on the ball did not “negate the possible award of the penalty”.
“It’s a late contact by a player who hasn’t played the ball himself. The ball touched him, but he’s not played it. And [Joao] Pedro goes down in the penalty area,” Webb told Michael Owen on the latest edition of Match Officials Mic’d Up’ on Sky Sports on Tuesday night.
“So when you break it down in that way, it’s a foul. And I know that it has split opinion, but I’ve also heard lots of people see it that way, just as a late contact by a player who’s failed to head the ball and has made contact with an opponent in the penalty area.”
Owen, who presents the show alongside the former Premier League referee, argued Saliba had got “a fair chunk of the ball”, but Webb said the degree of contact did not “negate the possible award of the penalty”.
“There’s still heavy contact on the follow through, and it’s a penalty,” said Webb. “If a player plays the ball cleanly away, heads it away, [then we’re] almost certainly looking at something different.
“But that’s not what happens here. [Joao] Pedro heads the ball onto Saliba. Saliba goes into [Joao] Pedro and takes him down and for that reason we think this is a very supportable penalty kick.”
The result at the Amex Stadium saw Arsenal drop points in the Premier League title race.
Asked whether he expected the on-pitch decision to be overturned or whether he got an explanation, Arteta added on Saturday: “I checked and after three seconds they said they already checked.
“(That) Seems quick. I asked Anthony (Taylor) and he said VAR would have a look at it.”
Arsenal face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Tuesday evening before welcoming Manchester United to north London in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
They return to Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur on January 15.
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