Arsenal handed fresh Sunderland penalty verdict after Mikel Arteta anger - 'never overturned'

Arsenal conceded a controversial penalty against Sunderland (Image: Premier League)

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has said that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will 'never' overturn a decision like the controversial penalty Arsenal conceded against Sunderland. The incident arrived just after half-time with Ezri Konsa penalised for bringing Dan Ballard to the ground, though David Raya saved Enzo Le Fee's spot-kick.

The Gunners scored through Bruno Guimaraes moments later and grabbed a second in added time courtesy of a Bukayo Saka penalty. Despite winning, anger over the decision has remained which has seen the club in dialogue with Pro Ref chief Howard, football.london understands.

And now Arsenal have received a verdict from another ex-Premier League official in Gallagher. He said on Sky Sports Ref Watch: "At the start of the season, referees went in and warned teams about what is going to happen with grappling as we all agreed last year that it has gone too far.

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"We were told more penalties were going to be given and it has turned out like that. They wanted to empower referees to make decisions themselves and John Brooks has said that is a penalty as he thinks Konsa is dragging him too much, he goes to ground and he gives a penalty.

"When you see the evidence, he is grabbing hold of him, although he is also being held, but when he says he has got hold of him, there is no evidence it is a clear and obvious error.

"When it happened, I said, this will never get overturned."

Pundit Jay Bothroyd disagreed that with the penalty decision. "I thought it should not have been given a penalty," he said. "Ballard knows what he is doing there, he has got hold of his arm and twisted him around and I can understand Arteta's frustrations.

"Because of momentum, you end up falling on the player and that is what has happened."

David Raya saved Enzo Le Fee's penalty(Image: Rich Linley - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta was incensed by the penalty call and made his feelings perfectly clear on several occasions. He said to TNT Sports. "I'm so upset, it is unacceptable at this level, unacceptable. It can change the course of the season. I've seen it 10 times to make sure and I said 'it is not possible it is penalty'. It is a judo roll. That's what it is.

"This cannot happen. In my view. I have been involved in football for 27/28 years. It's not a penalty in any game, in any game, in any context in any league."

In his press conference, the Gunners boss added: "Look, the first question that we have to discuss is, and this is not acceptable at this level, because it was a beautiful game of football, with two teams, with an atmosphere in this stadium, it was unbelievable.

"With Sunderland they are so well organised, they are so good in so many phases, they have great players, they create a lot of issues. We have to cope with all of that, because it was a lot in a really difficult week, after Chelsea and Napoli.

"And on top of that, we have to go through what we've done today, that in my opinion is not acceptable. And I watched it 20 times, and I cannot find a way to understand how we even think to give a penalty in that situation, or the way the VAR has to intervene. So I don't know what to think, really."

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