Arteta fumes at Sunderland penalty decision in Arsenal win - 'It's unacceptable!'

A furious Mikel Arteta slammed the decision to award Sunderland a penalty for Ezri Konsa's challenge on Dan Ballard, despite David Raya saving the spot-kick and Arsenal winning the match.

Arsenal claimed a hard-fought 2-0 win over the Black Cats in Saturday's late kick-off to go top of the Premier League with a perfect record after four games. Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench at half-time to smash in a long-range opener before Bukayo Saka doubled the lead in stoppage time from the spot.

But the Gunners needed Raya to produce a world-class stop from Enzo Le Fee's penalty and keep it 0-0 after Konsa was penalised for grappling with Ballard inside the box. “He’s all over him at the near post facing the wrong way," referee John Brooks said, explaining his decision.

The VAR then added: “I’m happy that it’s a holding offence. The foul is confirmed. Confirming the on-field decision of penalty."

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Arteta was booked by Brooks during the match and it's fair to say he didn't agree with the decision. "It could have been very different," he began to TNT Sports. "They could've changed the game." Asked who could've changed the game, he replied. "You know who."

"It is unacceptable at this level," he then added. "Unacceptable. This can change the course of a season. It's not acceptable. I have watched it 10 times to make sure, because I watched it live and I said it's not possible to be a penalty because it's a judo roll, that's what it is. This cannot happen.

"In my view. I have been involved in football for 27 or 28 years. It's not a penalty in any game, in any game, in any context in any league. I'm so pleased in one sense, I'm so worried in another."

Arteta then said he would go and speak to Brooks about the decision, which appeared to be in-keeping with Pro Ref's stance on clamping down on holding inside the penalty area this season.

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Arteta was similarly furious when speaking to Match of the Day. "It's a judo roll from the opponent," he said. "Ezri does nothing. Just watch it. We have a lot of cameras and VAR we have to take responsibility to protect the game. Today the game was unprotected and it could have cost us the game and the momentum which is a really, really serious thing.

"I loved the save from David, the way the team reacted, the way we go again and we go against everything, but this should never happen, it's not fair, and I am sad, very sad, in that sense. I'm making it very clear publicly because it's for the game, it's not only for Arsenal, this cannot happen at this level.

Asked about Raya's save, he added: "We should not talk about the save of the keeper, we should talk about what happened before that."

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris refused to be drawn into the debate. "I didn't see the action, to be fair," he said.

Raya was just happy to have pulled off the crucial save, which came two minutes before Guimaraes fired Arsenal into the lead via the underside of the crossbar.

"It's a big moment," he said. "Especially at nil-nil, away from home. They were a little bit on top of us. I think that save helped the players have that faith to keep going and win the game.

"But even if we had conceded the goal we would have had that faith but it was important to keep that clean sheet and save the penalty save."