Brighton v Arsenal

[JamesL]

We should have a poll on this.

For me it’s a clash of heads. Stop game and restart with a dropped ball.

Obliged.

I genuinely struggling to see how anyone can look at this and not see a foul. João Pedro is on control of the ball (if he was a defender we would see his plays as deliberate) he heads the ball and then Saliba misses his header because he is late (showing a lack of attention i.e. careless) and strikes his opponent carelessly on the head with his head.

The fact that folks have had to start arguing the definition of "headbutt" to argue their case shows how completely bone-dry the bottom of the barrel they were scraping was.

@everyone get voting...

 

[Tim Punter]

I can't that have led to penalties, because there haven't been any that I remember. But that doesn't mean it isn't a foul, I'd never seen anyone jump feet first into the crowd before Cantona did it but that doesn't mean it couldn't be violent conduct because no one had seen it before

What I have seen though, and given myself, loads of free kicks where two players go to head the ball, one gets there first and the second is late and heads the first player. That isn't an accidental clash of heads, it is one player getting there first and the other player heading them, that makes it careless and a free kick. It happens a lot, but doesn't get talked about as it doesn't lead to a penalty.

Think of it like keepers coming out to punch the ball. It used to be that if they miss the ball, or just get a glancing blow, and then accidentally punch and opponent they'd generally get away with it. But in recent years these dave started being sanctioned as penalties, completely accidental but ultimately careless and therefore a penalty. Not really any different to a defender going to head the ball and heading the attacker instead, even if he did get the slightest of touch on the ball first.

Think this is the definitive post on the matter. Move on, it was a penalty

 

[Hilly1618]

Obliged.

I genuinely struggling to see how anyone can look at this and not see a foul. João Pedro is on control of the ball (if he was a defender we would see his plays as deliberate) he heads the ball and then Saliba misses his header because he is late (showing a lack of attention i.e. careless) and strikes his opponent carelessly on the head with his head.

The fact that folks have had to start arguing the definition of "headbutt" to argue their case shows how completely bone-dry the bottom of the barrel they were scraping was.

@everyone get voting...

You and others are completely misconstruing the ‘headbutt issue’ . I personally have never said it wasn’t a penalty. The referee decided it was a careless challenge. My original point was that if the incident in question reached the threshold of a careless challenge for the referee then many more challenges were missed that reached such a low threshold.

And I fully maintain my stance that the clash of heads should not be described as a headbutt, never in a month of Sundays!

 

[Ori]

Obliged.

I genuinely struggling to see how anyone can look at this and not see a foul. João Pedro is on control of the ball (if he was a defender we would see his plays as deliberate) he heads the ball and then Saliba misses his header because he is late (showing a lack of attention i.e. careless) and strikes his opponent carelessly on the head with his head.

The fact that folks have had to start arguing the definition of "headbutt" to argue their case shows how completely bone-dry the bottom of the barrel they were scraping was.

@everyone get voting...

Easily. I’ve never seen them given where both players have made a connection with the ball and clashed heads and a penalty given. Now if we arguing that they should be by the interpretation of the game then that’s different.

 

[ladbroke8745]

Easily. I’ve never seen them given where both players have made a connection with the ball and clashed heads and a penalty given. Now if we arguing that they should be by the interpretation of the game then that’s different.

But Salibas connection only came because Pedro headed it at him, not because they arrived at the ball at the same time to head it (in a similar way two jump for it at the halfway line etc).
I've seen plenty of free kicks given where players are a fraction late to heading the ball and headed the players back of their heads.
Just happens this happened in the area.

It was given by the on field ref.
VAR said not enough to say the ref got it wrong, so assume they think he is right to give it.
Many on here and elsewhere think it's right decision.

 

[socal lurker]

Easily. I’ve never seen them given where both players have made a connection with the ball and clashed heads and a penalty given. Now if we arguing that they should be by the interpretation of the game then that’s different.

And the clips showing the same p,ay not being called are where?