URL string compare not working in php

Question

I have this URL "https://www.example.com/thymus_vulgaris?tag=Oil&page=2" where I get /thymus_vulgaris?tag=Oil&page=2 from $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] in php and I have also saved the same URL in database that I am getting in a variable $abc = /thymus_vulgaris?tag=Oil&page=2 you can see both URL URI is same I am writing this code. but comparison is not working please see the screenshot value for better understand

foreach ($redirects as $redirectlink) { 
                        if('/thymus_vulgaris?tag=Oil&page=2' == $redirectlink['title']){
                                die;
                            }
                        }

if I do print_r($redirects) I got this array results see below

Array

(

[0] => Array
    (
        [title] => /thymus_vulgaris?tag=Oil&page=2
        [url] => essential-oils
    )

[1] => Array
    (
        [title] => /products/diffusers
        [url] => diffusers
    )

[2] => Array
    (
        [title] => /essential-oils/Essential-Oil-Kits/sleep_and_breathe
        [url] => essential-oils
    )

[3] => Array
    (
        [title] => /Solum%20Lux%20Telum
        [url] => essential-oils
    )

[4] => Array
    (
        [title] => /organic-boswellia-serrata
        [url] => essential-oils
    )

[5] => Array
    (
        [title] => /faqs
        [url] => FAQ
    )

[6] => Array
    (
        [title] => /clearance/refurbished-replacement-bottles/amp
        [url] => accessories/bottles-and-caps/amp
    )

[7] => Array
    (
        [title] => /refurbished-replacement-bottles/amp
        [url] => accessories/bottles-and-caps/amp
    )

)

if you see first array value is same as request $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] value. Can anybody help me quickly?

Answer 1

I guess probably some invisible char, because of which == resulting false,

For example : DEMO

$ php -r '$f1="foo"; $f2="foo\0"; echo $f1.PHP_EOL; echo $f2.PHP_EOL; var_dump($f1); var_dump($f2); var_dump($f1==$f2);'
foo
foo
string(3) "foo"
string(4) "foo"
bool(false)

As you can see above, $f1 and $f2 both are not equal, but looks like same.

Output :