VAR error cost Brighton penalty against Arsenal

Brighton should have been awarded a penalty in their 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal on 4 March, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has said.

It is the third time this season Arsenal have wrongly escaped a VAR penalty in a game they have won by one goal.

The Seagulls were trailing to Bukayo Saka’s ninth-minute goal when they pushed forward in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.

After a cross was delivered from the left, Brighton midfielder Mats Wieffer tried to run into the box towards the flight of the ball but was hauled to the ground by Gabriel Martinelli.

Referee Chris Kavanagh allowed play to continue and it was cleared by the video assistant referee (VAR), Michael Salisbury.

Fabian Hurzeler complained to fourth official David Webb and the Brighton boss ended up exchanging words with Mikel Arteta on the touchline.

The Premier League Match Centre wrote on X that the VAR “deemed there was no clear and obvious error”.

But the KMI Panel voted 4:1 that a spot-kick should have been awarded on the field, and 3:2 that it was a missed VAR intervention.

The ruling said: “Martinelli is not looking at the ball, holds Weiffer into the area and prevents the Brighton player from challenging for the ball.”

Earlier this month the KMI Panel voted 4:1 that Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty against the Gunners for handball by Declan Rice.

Arsenal led 1-0 in the 45th minute when Rice moved his arm to deflect the ball following a corner.

Chelsea did score two minutes later through a Piero Hincapie handball, but went on to lose 2-1.

In December, Everton should have been awarded a penalty for William Saliba’s challenge on Thierno Barry. The VAR was Michael Salisbury for that match, too.

There have now been 18 VAR errors logged this season, matching the total for the entire 2024-25 campaign.

From this same gameweek, Leeds United should have been given a penalty in their 1-0 loss at home to Sunderland for Luke O’Nien’s holding offence on Pascal Struijk.

The KMI Panel also ruled that Newcastle United forward Jacob Ramsey should not have received a second yellow card in the Magpies’ 2-1 win over Manchester United at St James’ Park.

Ramsey was sent off in added time at the end of the first half for simulation for going down after running past goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

It was judged on a 3:2 vote that Ramsey’s “left foot appears to slip as he goes past the keeper” and that it “wasn’t an attempt to deceive the referee”.

Second yellow cards are not currently reviewed by VAR, but that will change from next season.

However, there will only be a narrow corridor for the VAR to overturn second yellows.

For instance, if a yellow card has been awarded for a foul then the foul itself must be wrong, not just the card.

It is the first time this season the KMI Panel has found a player has been incorrectly sent off for a second caution.