Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lambasted the ‘unacceptable’ decision to award Sunderland a penalty in his side’s hard-fought 2-0 win over the Black Cats.
Arteta’s side maintained their 100 per cent record in their title defence on Saturday night thanks to goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka, but it could have been a very different story.
The score was 0-0 when Sunderland were awarded a penalty after referee John Brooks adjudged Ezri Konsa to have dragged Dan Ballard to the floor at a Sunderland corner.
After a VAR check, the decision stood, but David Raya dived low to his left to keep out Enzo Le Fee’s effort.
The Gunners’ goals came after that moment, but that didn’t stop Arteta making his feelings on the decision known post-match.
‘Yeah it’s a huge win, but it could have been something very different,’ the Spaniard, who was booked in the game for leaving his technical area, said on TNT Sports.
Mikel Arteta branded the decision to award Sunderland a penalty against Arsenal ‘unacceptable at this level’
Ezri Konsa was adjudged to have fouled Dan Ballard – with the Black Cats missing the spot kick
When questioned on how things could have been different, he replied: ‘You know in what way, in the way that they could have changed the game. You know who.’
Then, after the reporter brought up the penalty decision, Arteta let loose.
‘Yes, yes,’ he snapped. ‘I’m so upset, it’s unacceptable at this level. Unacceptable. This can change the course of the season, the championship. It is not acceptable.
‘I’ve seen it 10 times to make sure because I watched it live and I said it’s not possible at this level that it can be a penalty, because it is a judo roll, that’s what it is, it cannot happen.
‘In my view, in any view of someone who has played football. It is not a penalty in any case, in any game in any context in any league.’
He added that he would speak to Brooks to make his feelings clear after the interview.
The result had looked in doubt for much of the game, with the opener from Guimaraes – a former Newcastle captain – coming in the 58th minute.
Sunderland had plenty of chances, too, taking five shots for 1.64 expected goals, but Arsenal’s resolute defence stood firm once again.
The Arsenal boss was also booked during the match for leaving his technical area
‘We have unbelievable players with spirit and courage to go again and again,’ Arteta continued. ‘I am so pleased in one sense and so worried in another.
On £75million summer signing Guimaraes he added: ‘Here, you know what it means, to play with such personality and he decided the game.
‘Raya is also a player who decides football matches when we need it, big credit to Sunderland for the way they play, the way they are coached, what they do. I don’t want to take any credit away from them.’
