Explained: Premier League explains why Joao Pedro avoided red card for attempt to elbow Brentford player as Fabian Hurzeler defends Brighton striker after Thomas Frank criticism

The incident unfolded as Yarmolyuk, introduced just minutes earlier, attempted to thwart Pedro's advance by grabbing his jersey. Frustrated by being restrained, Pedro swung his elbow towards Yarmolyuk, though the motion failed to connect. Referee Andy Madley halted the game, issuing a yellow card to Yarmolyuk for his foul. However, the match paused further as VAR official Chris Kavanagh conducted a review of Pedro’s reaction. Despite replays showing Pedro’s apparent intent, no additional disciplinary action was taken.

The Premier League later issued a statement via X (formerly Twitter) to clarify the decision.

"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," the post read.

The decision drew contrasting responses from the teams' managers. Brentford boss Thomas Frank voiced his disagreement, asserting that Pedro's action merited dismissal.

"I think it's a red card," Frank told Amazon Prime. "You can't swing your arm like that. It's like, if you want to punch or swing your arm like that, hit or no hit, as I understand with the laws, it's a red card."

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, however, defended his player, dismissing the notion of violent conduct.

"It's an interesting opinion," Hurzeler said while responding to Frank's statements.

"I see it completely differently. For me, it's not a red card, why would it be a red card? You just try to get free from someone."

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg provided his analysis during the broadcast, explaining why Pedro's action did not meet the criteria for violent conduct.

"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 explained.

"He keeps his arm quite close to his body and I think it's more of a gesture to the referee. 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."

Had Pedro been sent off, it would have marked his first dismissal since joining Brighton in May 2023. With no suspension issued, the forward remains available for Brighton's next fixture against Aston Villa on Monday evening.