Anthony Taylor: It's All About You
Another frustrating refereeing decision backed up by Taylor's VAR truck buddies
Hello,
Happy Sunday.
Well, it isn’t really.
Not after the most ridiculous penalty awarded by Anthony Taylor against Arsenal on Saturday evening.
Did you see it?
I covered the game at an absolutely freezing cold Amex, with incredulous Gunners boss Mikel Arteta saying afterwards: “I've never seen a decision like this in my career.
“I asked the boys if they have and nobody has seen it before.
“When you look at the incident, the distance, the player, Joao Pedro touching the ball and Saliba touching the ball. You can see contact there.”
The way I described the incident in my match report was as follows:
“The pivotal moment came on the hour mark when Brighton forward Pedro flicked the ball up in the box. William Saliba attempted to head it away, but the Arsenal centre-back also made contact with Pedro's head, with referee Anthony Taylor immediately opting to give a spot-kick.”
Perhaps I was far too reasonable, and should have swapped the depiction with one of my tweets…
And, of course, as it was Anthony Taylor, he couldn’t wait to award the sanction immediately. Without the need to consult VAR.
And of course, with the pressure off, Taylor’s VAR truck buddies backed him up.
You may recall Anthony Taylor from such poor decisions as disallowing Kai Havertz’s last-gasp goal during the crucial 2-2 draw vs Liverpool at the Emirates in October, when the official decided Havertz had fouled Ibrahima Konate.
No wonder the 3,000 furious Gooners massed in the Brighton away end sung: “Anthony Taylor: It’s All About You…”
And while we’re at it. When people say, “Well, if Saliba had mistimed his tackle in the box it would have been a penalty,” they miss the point.
You don’t use your head to tackle, You use it to head the ball.
And if you mistime your header - even if you actually make contact with the ball, and even if you make contact with your opponent in a non-violent follow-through - the referee should mitigate such a rare occurrence and perhaps offer a drop ball, or an indirect free kick. Not a penalty.
What also stuck in the craw, was the abhorrent inconsistency.
Did you see 5pur2 vs Newcastle in the earlier game?
How the above wasn’t given as a penalty was beyond me. It’s the inconsistency that absolutely galls.
Then the doubling down by ‘useful idiots’ such as Dermot Gallagher on Sky on the Monday, even when it flies in the face of all evidence.
Anyway, as an aside, did you see Postecoglu’s reaction to yet another defeat? It was as embarrassing as it was character-revealing.
DAILY LIST:
I’m writing this sat in a warm bed in a cheap hotel in Lewes, a mere Anthony Taylor’s incorrect decision from the Amex.
As the freezing rain drove in during the game - despite five layers and plenty of natural blubber, making it definitely the coldest game I have covered this season - I was consoled by deciding earlier to book a room in Lewes.
Situated a quick 10 minute drive from Falmer, where Brighton’s ground is situated, my hotel offered a welcoming haven, as I simply couldn’t face driving back in such torrential rain. Nor worrying about the prospect of being snowed in at any stage on my route back.
Such forethought normally escapes me. But with every news outlet predicting such apocalyptic weather I’m glad stayed over on the south coast.
Even if, by the time I’d parked my car and checked in, it looked like someone had thrown a bucket of water over me. A freezing bucket of water, at that.
As an aside, midday is the only correct time for checking out of a hotel. During the Euros in Germany last summer, I actually came across a hotel that insisted visitors check out at 10am? 10am? I was just about getting in at that time. And even if I wasn’t, 10am is such a mean-spirited time to be kicked out. Especially when you can’t actually check in at 10am - or midday, or these days even 2pm. But don’t get me started on this topic…
I might even have a little stroll around Lewes when I check out at midday, before heading back home to watch Liverpool surely extend their lead against an utterly dreadful United side, who must be considered - alongside Spurs - as clubs mired in a relegation battle. Or they will be if they keep losing at any rate…
See you at Arsenal on Tuesday, where at least our dreams of silverware in that particular competition haven’t been dashed. Yet…
PS:
My Brighton vs Arsenal match report from the Amex
……
Brighton & Hove Albion 1–1 Arsenal: Report by Layth Yousif
Brighton held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw to freeze Arsenal’s title momentum on a bitterly cold evening on the south coast.
The award, and conversion by Joao Pedro, of a controversial penalty on 61 minutes ensured Arsenal remained five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, with Arnie Slot’s side having two games in hand.
The pivotal moment came on the hour mark when Brighton forward Pedro flicked the ball up in the box. William Saliba attempted to head it away, but the Arsenal centre-back also made contact with Pedro's head, with referee Anthony Taylor immediately opting to give a spot-kick.
Up stepped Pedro to send David Raya the wrong way, and perhaps end the Gunners fast-fading hopes of seriously competing for top spot, to add another season - and counting - to their title drought of more than two decades.
Speaking after the match, a frustrated Mikel Arteta fumed: “I've never seen a decision like this in my career.
“I asked the boys if they have and nobody has seen it before.
“When you look at the incident, the distance, the player, Joao Pedro touching the ball and Saliba touching the ball. You can see contact there.”
Understandably, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler had a different point of view.
"It was a clear penalty,” the 31-year-old German said, adding: “It is head-to-head, but if it is another piece of the body everybody would say it was a penalty.
"Pedro places the ball with his head and Saliba comes too late."
Earlier, Arsenal’s precocious Ethan Nwaneri displayed his talents to the watching England boss Thomas Tuchel, to net his second league goal of the campaign on a freezing evening on the south coast.
On a bitterly cold night at Brighton’s well-appointed stadium in Falmer on the edge of the south downs, in front of 31,714 fans, including the new England boss, the skilled 17-year-old with ice in his veins clinically put the Gunners ahead. Nwaneri netting a superb individual goal, following a driving run and shot that flew through Albion keeper Bart Verbruggen after 16 minutes.
As if to underline his upward trajectory, albeit, never on a finely tuned linear basis, the young gun struggled against Albion counterpart Pervis Estupan at times, and was booked by referee Anthony Taylor for wasting time when taking a corner moments before the break.
Such an action-packed opening 45 minutes led to boss Arteta sensibly hooking the No53 during the break, in favour of Gabi Martinelli who made his 200th appearance in Arsenal colours from the bench.
With Mikel Merino covering defensively, while providing attacking options including an assist for Nwaneri’s goal, the loss of Martin Odegaard from the starting line-up was somewhat mitigated. Prior to the Norwegian coming on in a bid to stem the tide midway through the second half – even if another victim of North Londoners new year bug saw Kai Havertz to miss his second game on the trot.
The home side could even have won it when Yankuba Minteh's cross nearly found another Seagulls substitute Kaoru Mitoma at the far post, but the winger narrowly missed slotting home.
However, Hurzeler’s side battled gamely throughout, and quite clearly dominated the second half, earning a point against the Gunners for the second time this season, as Arsenal saw their title hopes freeze on a bitterly cold evening on the south coast.
Arsenal's failure to collect maximum points means Liverpool have the chance to move eight points clear at the top on Sunday if they beat Manchester United at Anfield.