Fabian Hurzeler STUNS fans by backing Eddie Howe in VAR drama—then drops bombshell claim Brighton were robbed of a penalty too!

Fabian Hurzeler Backs Eddie Howe in VAR Uproar but Slams Missed Brighton Penalty in Controversial Newcastle Draw


Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler found rare common ground with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe over the contentious VAR decisions that overshadowed their 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium on Sunday—but he didn’t shy away from voicing his own frustrations.

In a game full of drama and debatable calls, both managers agreed that VAR was right to overturn two second-half penalties initially awarded to Newcastle. Referee Craig Pawson had pointed to the spot after Tariq Lamptey appeared to bring down Anthony Gordon just outside the area, and again after Joe Willock went to ground under pressure from Jan Paul van Hecke. But replays showed the first challenge occurred outside the box, while the second was deemed a dive.

VAR intervened on both occasions, and the penalties were rightly rescinded. “Today we saw VAR making the game more fair,” Hurzeler admitted, echoing Howe’s post-match sentiment. However, the Brighton boss quickly shifted focus to a potential penalty his side were denied, claiming that referee Pawson failed to spot a foul committed by Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali on Matt O’Riley earlier in the match.

“The referee blew the whistle when there wasn’t even contact on the Willock dive and gave a penalty,” Hurzeler said. “But when Tonali kicks O’Riley, there’s no call. I don’t see a big difference between the foul on Gordon and the one on Matt. So if one is a penalty, why isn’t the other?”

The only spot-kick that stood came in the 89th minute, when Yasin Ayari was judged to have handled the ball inside the box. Alexander Isak converted, rescuing a point for Newcastle and leaving Brighton feeling they’d been short-changed despite VAR’s apparent fairness elsewhere in the match.

Hurzeler’s comments highlight the growing complexities of VAR decision-making, where even accurate interventions can leave both sides feeling aggrieved. For Brighton, the shared consensus with Howe over Newcastle’s overturned penalties offered little consolation in a game they believed could have swung their way.