December 27th 2024.
Joao Pedro, the Brighton forward, found himself in a tense situation during Friday's match against Brentford. As he tried to break free from Yehor Yarmolyuk, who was pulling at his shirt and shoulder, Pedro became increasingly frustrated. In a moment of anger, he stopped and swung his right elbow at Yarmolyuk, narrowly missing the midfielder.
The referee, Andy Madley, initially gave Yarmolyuk a yellow card for his actions. However, after a review by VAR referee Chris Kavanagh, it was determined that Madley's decision not to punish Pedro was not a clear and obvious error. Therefore, Pedro avoided a red card and suspension.
After the match, Brentford manager Thomas Frank expressed his disappointment with the incident, stating that swinging one's arm in such a manner is not acceptable and should result in a red card. He also acknowledged that it can be difficult for referees to make the right call in the heat of the moment.
In a statement from the Premier League Match Centre, it was clarified that VAR had checked and confirmed the referee's decision not to penalize Pedro for violent conduct. According to the statement, VAR deemed that the referee's call was not clearly and obviously wrong.
While Pedro may have escaped a red card, his actions were still heavily scrutinized and it is clear that there will be further discussion about the incident. The match ended in a goalless draw, but the controversy surrounding Pedro's attempted elbow will likely continue to be a topic of conversation.
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