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TARIQ LAMPTEY rescued a draw for the Seagulls with a stunning late goal, spoiling Ollie Watkins’ 29th birthday festivities!
Once again, VAR dominated the conversation, leaving referee Craig Pawson looking just as confused as the fans!
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The officiating sparked intense debate as two penalty appeals from Villa were turned down, with VAR backing one decision while contradicting the other.
This situation led to confusion surrounding the man in charge as Watkins successfully converted a penalty awarded to his side, equalizing Simon Adingra’s earlier strike.
Morgan Rogers then put Villa ahead, but Lamptey struck late to reignite the controversy of the game.
The match was fast-paced, intense, and filled with several bookings and disputes.
The action kicked off dramatically as Joao Pedro collided with Boubacar Kamara, requiring a four-minute stoppage to treat his cut brow.
Once back in the game, the Seagulls forward resembled Rab C. Nesbitt, and the antics continued when Unai Emery stumbled while trying to retrieve the ball during a throw-in!
Everywhere onlookers looked, players were clashing and falling.
However, it was Brighton that landed the first blow, taking the lead after 12 minutes.
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Lewis Dunk launched a lengthy ball from defense, which Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres mishandled, allowing Joao Pedro to muscle in on the action.
The ball landed at Simon Adingra’s feet, and he skillfully cut inside onto his right foot to curl a beautiful shot past Emi Martinez into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
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Villa’s troubles mounted with Pau Torres leaving the game due to an ankle injury, replaced by Tyrone Mings.
Martinez made a vital save from Enciso’s dipping effort, and Jan Paul van Hecke headed just wide from the resulting corner.
Controversy quickly arose over two first-half penalty claims, echoing Unai Emery’s pre-match remarks about how ‘politics’ influence VAR decisions.
The Villa manager, still fuming about Jhon Duran’s three-match suspension for a foul on Newcastle’s defender Fabian Schar, expressed his disappointment in his program comments.
He remarked: “We believe the referees aren’t using VAR adequately.”
“VAR was brought in to help eliminate mistakes and ensure that referee decisions – right or wrong – are respected on the field. If we start using VAR for political reasons, we are neglecting the tool that’s meant to improve the fairness of the game.”
Essentially, he argues for greater support from VAR for referees, rather than less, a point highlighted in this match.
Villa had two penalty appeals turned down by referee Craig Pawson.
The first involved a possible clip on Morgan Rogers by Van Hecke, who had touched the ball before the Villa player fell in the box.
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However, VAR determined it wasn’t a clear and obvious error by Pawson, leading to frustration among Villa fans.
Just two minutes later, another controversial situation arose with a drastically different outcome.
Youri Tielemans’ corner was spilled by Bart Verbruggen, and Joao Pedro seemed to have clipped Rogers, who fell in the box.
In this instance, VAR intervened, instructing Pawson to check the monitor on the sidelines.
After a three-minute wait, Pawson decided that Rogers had been fouled and ruled that Verbruggen had not been fouled in his attempt to claim the ball, awarding a penalty.
This incident raises questions about the expected clarity when decisions are so close, prompting calls for the referee to take more decisive control rather than solely relying on Stockley Park’s judgments.
Ollie Watkins kept his cool and celebrated his 29th birthday by converting the penalty, sending Verbruggen the wrong way.
After 12 minutes of stoppage time in the first half, Villa took the lead just two minutes after the second half began.
Watkins lifted the ball over Brighton’s defense after a half-clearance from a corner, allowing Rogers to control it with his chest before striking it past Verbruggen.
Nevertheless, Brighton refused to give up and equalized with a superb goal nine minutes from the end.
Pedro executed a clever one-two with Mitoma, laying the ball off for Tariq Lamptey, who unleashed a powerful low shot past Martinez from just inside the box, securing a crucial point for the Seagulls.
