Saved by ‘special talent’ – but did penalty award wrong Brighton?

It was a moment Charalampos Kostoulas will never forget.

An acrobatic overhead-kick equaliser in stoppage time – not a bad way for Brighton‘s 18-year-old Greek forward to open his account at the Amex Stadium.

The substitute, who signed from Olympiakos for £29.78m in the summer, struck just when all looked lost for the Seagulls after they trailed Bournemouth to a hotly-disputed first-half penalty.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was full of praise for his teenage saviour but it still did not ease his anger over the award of the spot-kick that led to Marcus Tavernier’s equaliser – as goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was adjudged to have fouled Amine Adli after video assistant referee (VAR) review.

He said: “It was a nice goal. We all know what he is capable of. But, we all prefer to win.”

Asked if he thought it was a penalty, the German said: “No. It is difficult to speak to referees. They have their own opinion and it is very difficult to have a conversation with them. We have to accept it even though we don’t agree.

“A touch and a contact is not enough, and that is what the referees said to us before the start of the season. And in certain moments they don’t do it, that’s just the truth.

“Contact doesn’t mean foul and in this situation it’s contact, maybe a little bit, but it’s not a foul. It doesn’t make sense.”

Greece Under-21 international Kostoulas made his professional debut in 2024, having come through Olympiakos’ academy – netting seven goals in 22 first-team league appearances last season.

Should an add-on of £1.7m for him be paid during his time at Brighton, it would make the transfer a record deal for a Greek player.

Since arriving at Brighton, he has made 17 appearances and scored two goals, with captain Lewis Dunk describing him as a “special talent”.

Dunk said: “I’ve seen him score better in training, but that was unbelievable.

“I think you’ve seen glimpses, and there’ll be many more things to come from him. He’s adapting to the country, new league, and he’s shown what he can do. That shows exactly what he can do.”

The incident happened around the half-hour mark when Bournemouth‘s Adli was initially cautioned for simulation by referee Paul Tierney after tumbling under the challenge of goalkeeper Verbruggen.

But, after recommendation from VAR official Jarred Gillett, Tierney reviewed it on the pitchside monitor, reversed his decision and awarded a penalty – announcing contact had been made.

Tavernier subsequently slotted home the spot-kick earning the visitors the opener, which looked like winning Bournemouth the game until Kostoulas’s late intervention.

Replays showed the slightest of contact was made by Verbruggen’s high foot but, with the ball seemingly running harmlessly away from goal, Brighton‘s staff, players and fans were left incensed by the decision.

After a weekend that saw Arsenal furious they were not awarded a penalty and Manchester City incensed Diogo Dalot was not sent off in their Manchester derby defeat, it was another decision that was the main talking point on Monday night.

Unsurprisingly, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola felt the decision was correct.

He said: “As soon as I saw the replay… Verbruggen also raises his leg a lot and contacts Amine. So I expected the decision, yes.”

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry agreed on Sky Sports: “It is a penalty. You’re lifting your leg, at the time that you’re hitting the player, the ball is still in play. Regardless on if he can get it or not, it is still in play.

“In the modern day, as we all know, you’re looking at a situation in slow motion. And it was given. Instead of arguing with this right now, whether it was a penalty or not a penalty, it could’ve been avoided and we can clearly see the contact.”

Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, added: “These type of penalties would not have been given maybe 10 years ago. The ball is still in play and you can see the contact. Adli wouldn’t have got to the ball.”

Video assistant referee errors had risen in the first half of the Premier League season.

Data collected by BBC Sport taken from the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel shows mistakes had increased 30% season-on-season from 10 to 13 before the weekend.

It was still a marked improvement on previous years, with 20 errors at this stage of the 2023-24 campaign and 23 in 2022-23.

Clear and obvious? That is the question Brighton will probably be asking after Bournemouth‘s VAR penalty.

Had referee Tierney identified the contact by Verbruggen on Adli and simply said ‘no penalty’ then a pitchside review was unlikely. His description would have been a justifiable interpretation.

The intervention from the VAR was based around Tierney getting that wrong. Tierney booked the Bournemouth attacker for simulation. That was incorrect and it opened the door for a review.

The VAR still had to feel this reached the threshold for a penalty, though. There was an argument that the contact was slight and not enough to make Adli go down.

A key factor was that Verbruggen’s challenge made in an irregular way, with a high boot catching the thigh of Adli after he had gone past.

That Adli may not have been able to keep the ball in play does not matter, only that it was still in when the foul contact happened.

Sam, Brighton: Terrible decision to overturn, barely touched him and was already going down. Embarrassing from the ref and embarrassing from VAR,

Simeon, Woking: Another week, another poor VAR decision – Get rid!

Russ, Upton: Football’s just not worth watching anymore is it? Why has the ref decided to change his mind with that penalty? The striker a) isn’t getting a shot off, b) isn’t getting to the ball once he’s pushed it on c) isn’t the victim of enough contact to send him down anyway! Turns out that when refs are as poor as they are these days, having more of them just makes matters worse!

Phil, Toronto: Clear and obvious is the problem. It seems like any minute infringement is now considered clear and obvious. Technology can help, ball crossing the goal line, even semi automated offside, but tackles and hand balls, the ref has his eyes on the game and is best placed to make a call. Any time players are standing around waiting is not clear and obvious…

Tom, Innsbruck: Stop with this ‘there was contact’ nonsense. Does the player go down because he’s actually brought down, or does he throw himself to the ground the moment he’s touched? Football is turning into a sport for divers.