Southampton boss Russell Martin and Brighton rival Fabian Hurzeler come to blows after feisty 1-1 draw… with Seagulls manager fuming at Saints’ tough-tackling battlers

Southampton boss Russell Martin and Brighton rival Fabian Hurzeler come to blows after feisty 1-1 draw… with Seagulls manager fuming at Saints’ tough-tackling battlers
Southampton manager Russell Martin had to be separated from Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler at the final whistle of a chaotic 1-1 draw which saw Saints left furious after a controversial VAR call.
In the second-half, with the score locked at 1-1, Southampton thought they had taken the lead through Cameron Archer after the striker poked home from close range.

However, in the chaotic four-and-half-minute period that ensued, referee Robert Jones initially ruled it out for offside before VAR then overturned the call, deeming Archer to be onside.
Officials then checked over the footage a second time and ruled that the goal should in fact be disallowed due to the fact team-mate Adam Armstrong was offside and attempted to intervene.

However fans, both in the stadium and watching from home, were left bemused after the VAR officials checked over the goal and ruled that it was fine – before then backtracking on the decision.

And things boiled over at full time as the two managers exchanged some choice words after a feisty 90 minutes in the Premier League.
I’ve never seen an opposition manager try to get players booked as much as that. respect is mutual and reciprocal.’
The contentious decision that ultimately decided the outcome of the game came down to the interpretation of the offside rule, with referee Robert Jones initially ruled it out for offside before VAR then overturned the call, deeming Archer to be onside.

Officials then checked over the footage a second time and ruled that the goal should in fact be disallowed due to the fact team-mate Adam Armstrong was offside and attempted to intervene
On the call, Martin added: ‘It is really difficult, but I find it hard to accept. I think it is [clear and obvious]. I am told it effects the goalkeeper. We were told it effects Bart Verbruggen ability and if Adam’s run moved Verbruggen from his position then I would understand the decision, but he hasn’t moved. I cannot see how it has effected the goalkeeper.

‘This is the point with VAR, I would rather the guy make a mistake on the pitch and we go, “no problem”. I still thinks it’s a penalty [against Liverpool last weekend]. Me and Howard [Webb] will argue for ages about it and we have.

It is still human error in my opinion. The mistake is, it’s not clear and obvious enough to be corrected. The on-field decision carries weight. I am frustrated, but I am really proud of my players.’

The Premier League Match Centre explained on X: ‘The referee’s call of no goal was checked and confirmed by the VAR as Armstrong was in an offside position and deemed to be impacting Verbruggen’s ability to play the ball’.

Brighton took the lead through a stooping Kaoru Mitoma header on 29 minutes after some poor defending from the away side, but Flynn Downes pegged the Seagulls back on the hour mark.