04 Jan 2025 23:28:55
Personally I think the penalty decision was correct.
Firstly it took motd to show 3 different angles in slow motion before I could see any contact of the ball and Saliba and secondly the ball appeared to hit Saliba rather than him win the header, and although there was no intent from Saliba to impede his opponent it obviously did. Very unfortunate but I think the ref made the only decision he could make in real time and slow motion I think his decision was correct.
05 Jan 2025 07:55:35
Not a pen for me. Never in a million years has anything like this been given as a pen. Ref can make incorrect real time decisions, but that's why we have VAR, right?
05 Jan 2025 08:21:42
Having said that, we didn't deserve to win that game. Really bad second half from us and a really good, intense second half from them.
05 Jan 2025 09:23:11
Just seen it for the first time and if that's a penalty then I am afraid football is going further down the n nonsensical table.
Watched the Spurs v Newcastle match.
Similar incident where Anthony Gordon ended with a bloody nose but wasn't a hint of a penalty.
Having said that our performance was below par especially 2nd half.
05 Jan 2025 10:35:11
Hi Bill for me the Brighton player gets there first and the ball hits Saliba head while Saliba is propelled by his momentum and head's the player rather than the ball a split second after the ball has already been won. It's extremely unfortunate and totally unavoidable but stil it prevented the Brighton player from continuing his movement.
One of those absolutely no fault things that do very occasionally prevent a potential goal scoring opportunity in the penalty area which i'm my opinion means it has to be a penalty. I totally accept most people including the entire motd panel see things differently to me but we can each only call it as we personally saw it.
05 Jan 2025 12:22:29
I also thought it was a penalty.
Didn't we get one recently when the opposing goalkeeper punched our player in the head after our player won the header? This was a bit similar to me.
05 Jan 2025 12:42:01
Brighton player won the ball and his momentum carried him into Saliba.
05 Jan 2025 14:03:09
Hi SW I agree both player's were carried by momentum and because of this were equally unable to prevent the clash of heads but for me because the Brighton player got there first and won the ball it has to be a penalty. It's one of those very rare things and I believe lots if not most refs in the instant moment would have come to the conclusion it was a clash of heads and not awarded the penalty but we were unfortunate to have a ref who in my opinion got an instant decision correct
If it was a tackle on the ground and Saliba got there split second late there would be no debate about the penalty because the other player won the ball and Saliba impeded his progress and whether it was accidental or deliberate would not come into it and to my knowledge the fact that incident happened in the air apposed on the ground doesn't change the rules. I could be wrong of course but that's what I believe the rules to be.
05 Jan 2025 14:31:50
Hi Ice mate, I was a strange one but I do believe by the rules of the game it was a penalty. Sometimes these rare things go for you and sometimes they go against you that is and has always been how football works out.
{Ed025's Note - it was a pen G62, he got to the ball first and saliba caught him afterwards mate, whether it was his head or his foot it makes no difference mate im afraid..
05 Jan 2025 15:13:17
But Gunner, if he had kicked the ball and his own follow through kicked saliba, it wouldn't be a pen. To me that's the question, and from the angles I saw it was the follow through that caused the collision. it was a clash of heads.
Anyway, these decisions will happen, and if we aren't good enough to overcome one goal that's on us.
05 Jan 2025 15:42:40
I totaly agree Ed025 mate, the rules are the rules and it is what it is. It's very unfortunate but personally have no complaints whatsoever about the decision.
{Ed025's Note - it was not the ref who cost you that game G62, it was the lack of a cutting edge im afraid mate..
05 Jan 2025 15:57:12
Hi SW mate on the first two angle motd showed I genuinely couldn't see where Saliba had any contact with the ball at all so it looked an unquestionable penalty to me and even on the 3rd angle the ball makes contact with Saliba apposed to him making any conscious contact with it. Although I do see what your saying about the Brighton players momentum carrying him into Saliba I personally still think it's a penalty, albeit an extremely unlucky one to concede given there was nothing Saliba could have done to avoid and he absolutely had to go for it, I'd have been extremely upset if Saliba had pulled out of the challenge so I 100% commend his bravery and commitment to the shirt and deem him nothing but extremely unlucky to concede it.