PGMOL has openly accepted that Brighton deserved a penalty in their recent game against Tottenham, as a consequence of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s tackle on Kaoru Mitoma.
Saturday’s match between Tottenham and Brighton was a tense affair, with Tottenham emerging victorious with a narrow 2-1 scoreline.
However, several decisions during the game went against Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton team, including an incident in which Hojbjerg appeared to catch Mitoma in the second half, but the referee, Stuart Atwell, did not award a penalty at the time.
Despite the incident being reviewed by VAR, no intervention was made, and Harry Kane scored a late winner for Tottenham.
BBC Sport has reported that PGMOL chief Howard Webb has directly communicated with senior Brighton officials, acknowledging the mistake. Had Brighton been awarded the penalty and gone on to win the game, they would have climbed to sixth position in the league, just one point behind Tottenham with two games in hand.
Meanwhile, Brighton captain Lewis Dunk was critical of the failure to award a penalty following the game.
Dunk said: “I don’t see what VAR is here for,” “You bring it in for big decisions and
It is not the first time PGMOL has apologized to Brighton for mistakes in officiating. In February, PGMOL expressed regret for errors made during Brighton’s game against Crystal Palace, and they also apologized for an incident involving Solly March in a match against Aston Villa just before the World Cup.
Following the recent match against Tottenham, Brighton has requested clarification regarding five key decisions, including a penalty claim when Dunk’s shirt was pulled in the box, and two Brighton goals disallowed for handball.
