Brighton, England — In a gripping encounter in the English Premier League on Friday night, Southampton was left reeling after a controversial VAR ruling denied them what would have been a crucial victory, resulting in a 1-1 draw against home side Brighton.

Brighton took the lead in the first half thanks to a stunning header from Kaoru Mitoma. However, Southampton responded with determination, leveling the match at the one-hour mark when Flynn Downes struck a powerful equalizer. Shortly after, Southampton seemed to have taken the lead when Cameron Archer pounced on a cross from substitute Ryan Fraser.

The celebrations for Southampton were cut short after a prolonged VAR review lasting over four minutes. The officials initially confirmed that Archer was onside, but they then penalized Adam Armstrong, who was offside, for allegedly interfering with play, despite not making any contact with the ball. This ruling meant Southampton had to settle for just one away point, leaving them at the bottom of the league standings.

On the other hand, Brighton managed to climb to second place in the league table, sharing points and goal difference with Manchester City. The disallowed goal was particularly frustrating for manager Russell Martin, as it had been beautifully orchestrated. Tyler Dibling skillfully evaded three Brighton players in his half before passing to Fraser, whose low cross bypassed Armstrong, allowing Archer to finish at the far post. However, the joyful moment was erased as the referee’s decision came as a shock.

The officials clarified that Armstrong was in an offside position, which affected goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen’s ability to make a play on the ball. Tension continued to mount as the match approached its conclusion, which featured an additional 13 minutes of stoppage time. In those closing moments, Brighton’s substitute Simon Adingra almost won the match for his team, but his shot struck the outside of the far post, managing to preserve the draw instead.