Fuming Mikel Arteta slams referee in furious Arsenal interview - 'I've seen it 10 times'

Mikel Arteta was furious at the decision to give Sunderland a penalty in Arsenal's 2-0 win(Image: TNT Sports)

Mikel Arteta was seething in his TNT Sports interview after Arsenal conceded a controversial penalty against Sunderland. David Raya saved the spot-kick and the Gunners went on to score twice in the second half but that did not stop the Arsenal boss making his feelings clear on referee John Brooks.

He said: "It is a huge win but it could have been something different." When pushed on what he meant, Arteta replied: "You know in what way, in the way that could have changed the game."

Arteta was then specifically asked about who could have changed the game and he repeated his point bluntly saying, "you know who."

Asked if he was referring to the penalty, the Spaniard quickly replied: "Yeah. 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."

Though he did not think it was a penalty, as he made abundantly clear, praise did arrive for Raya's save from 12 yards and the character shown by his players. He said: "Unbelievable players that we have and the courage to go again and again. That is why I'm so pleased and so worried in another."

David Raya made a great save from Enzo Le Fee's penalty

Arteta went into further detail on his thoughts in front of journalists with it clear that topic was going to dominate his press conference over Bruno Guimaraes' huge goal and the potential injury to Ben White after he came off at half-time.

He began: "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.

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"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."

"But I'm sad that we have to discuss in such a beautiful game something at this level that has the gravity of that, because that changes the course of the season, and it can cost you the championship. And at this level, with all the work that we put in, this cannot happen."

"Well you see it. It's a judo roll? You don't think it's a judo roll and it brings the players on the floor. How can this be a penalty? I don't know. I cannot find an explanation, honestly. That's why I'm going to try to find an explanation now.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was booked earlier in the clash

Asked if the decision has been explained to him, Arteta said: "No, I have to be here in front of you guys and talk about it. I don't want to talk about it, I want to talk about the game, and how good we were, how good Sunderland was, and the level of the league, and how beautiful this is.

"We should never be talking about this, for the sake of that, it was incredible. We should not even be talking about that."

Following the controversial penalty, it was a Guimaraes beauty and Saka spot-kick that decided the contest with Arsenal keeping their 100 per cent win record intact.

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