•Gabriel Martinelli and Mats Wieffer hustling for the ball in a Premier League match
Brighton & Hove Albion FC should have been awarded a penalty in their 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal FC on 4 March, according to the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel.
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 from the left, Brighton midfielder Mats Wieffer ran into the box toward the ball but was hauled to the ground by Gabriel Martinelli.
Referee Chris Kavanagh allowed play to continue, and the incident was cleared by video assistant referee, Michael Salisbury. Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler protested to fourth official David Webb and exchanged words with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on the touchline.
According to BBC Sport today, the Premier League Match Centre wrote on X that VAR “deemed there was no clear and obvious error.”
However, 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 stated: “Martinelli is not looking at the ball, holds Wieffer into the area, and prevents the Brighton player from challenging for the ball.”
This is the second time this season that Arsenal have avoided a VAR-awarded penalty in a 1-0 away win. In December, Everton FC were denied a penalty for William Saliba’s challenge on Thierno Barry, also reviewed by VAR Michael Salisbury.
So far this season, 18 VAR errors have been logged, matching the total for the entire 2024–25 campaign.
In the same gameweek, Leeds United FC should have been awarded a penalty in their 1-0 home loss to Sunderland AFC for Luke O’Nien’s holding offence on Pascal Struijk. Arsenal remain without any VAR mistakes against them this season.
