Joao Pedro 'elbow': VAR agrees with onfield decision for Brighton striker to avoid red card vs Brentford

A Premier League statement revealed why VAR stuck with the referee's decision not to send off Brighton's Joao Pedro after he appeared to try to elbow Brentford's Yehor Yarmolyuk... but do you agree?

Pedro avoided any punishment after he and Yarmolyuk became embroiled in a scuffle during the Seagulls' goalless draw with the Bees.

Yarmolyuk, who had just come on as a substitute, prevented a Brighton breakaway by pulling Pedro's shirt. The Brighton forward responded by throwing his right elbow in the direction of the defender's face but missed.

Referee Andy Madley stopped play to give Yarmolyuk a yellow card but was instructed by VAR Chris Kavanagh to delay play while the incident was checked. Despite replays confirming Pedro had thrown his elbow in Yarmolyuk's direction, it was not deemed a red card offence.

The Premier League Match Centre on X released an explanation as to why Pedro avoided a caution: "The referee's call of no red card to Joao Pedro for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed the referee's call was not clear and obviously wrong."

Ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg told Amazon Prime that Pedro rightly avoided a red card as he had not made contact with Yarmolyuk.

"If we look at the laws of the game as it's written, it has to be to strike an opponent or attempt to strike an opponent," said Clattenburg.

"Because there was no contact he can't be sent off the field of play for the contact. Therefore, it's whether he attempted to strike the opponent. The more I look at it, because it's an unusual action, especially from behind he is looking towards Andy Madley when he swings his arm. He keeps his arm quite close to his body and I think it's more of a gesture to the referee.

"Andy Madley is in a very good position. He couldn't have been sent off for the contact but he could have been sent off for the attempted contact. I believe it's a gesture more than an attempted strike.

"I think Joao Pedro makes a gesture to the referee but if he wanted to swing and use brutality he would have swung his arm out and created contact."

After the game, Brentford boss Thomas Frank expressed his confusion at the decision suggesting Pedro should have been sent off for the attempt.

"As I understand the rules, you can't swing your arm to try and hit someone," Frank said.

"Whether you hit them or not, it's a red, that's how we understand the rules."

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler took a different view, rejecting the notion the incident warranted a sending off.

"For me, it's not a red card," Hurzeler said after the game.

"He tried to get free from a personal duel."