Mikel Arteta gets instant response over Arsenal penalty fury as Premier League sent message
Mikel Arteta was furious with Sunderland's penalty(Image: PA)
Mikel Arteta has been told that he is well within his rights to fume with John Brooks' decision to award a penalty to Sunderland during Arsenal's trip to the Stadium of Light on Saturday evening.
After a goalless first-half, the Black Cats were afforded the opportunity to strike first from 12 yards, when Dan Ballard was dragged to ground by Ezri Konsa.
Enzo Le Fee stepped up to take the spot kick, only to be denied by a world class save from David Raya, who dove low to tip the ball onto the post and away from danger.
It may well have been an incident which changed the course of the game had Le Fee have scored, with Arsenal ultimately running out 2-0 winners on Wearside.
Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring for the North London club just 120 seconds after Le Fee's penalty miss, striking with power from the edge of the box.
Bukayo Saka then converted a penalty of his own late into stoppage time after being brought down by Reinildo, who received a second yellow card and subsequent red for the foul.
Pleased with the victory, Arteta fumed at Brooks' decision to award Sunderland a penalty, telling TNT Sports: "It is a huge win but it could have been something different. You know in what way, in the way that could have changed the game."
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He added: "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."
Now, Ashley Williams and Thomas Frank have agreed with Arteta's verdict on the spot kick. Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, Williams explained: "I think he’s got it completely wrong.
"Look at Ezri Konsa’s left shoulder here - it’s pulled down by Dan Ballard.
“It means that he spins round and he obviously lands on top of Dan Ballard. Mikel Arteta is right, it's almost a perfect kick toss like in judo. He's got hold of him.
Dan Ballard was brought down by Ezri Konsa(Image: Getty Images)
“If you look at Konsa’s elbow getting driven down, he can't do anything about it at this point, he has to roll over. It's very clever by Ballard, but in no way is it a penalty.
“If anything, this has to be a foul the other way. If I'm playing and I get hold of someone that's behind me and I flip them over and go down, every single time I win the award.
“And now they've given that penalty, they've set themselves up. Now they have to be consistent and keep doing that every week.”
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Former Tottenham Hotspur boss, Frank, meanwhile, added: "I think when you get it [a penalty], of course, you want it. But I completely agree, I don't think it's a penalty.
“Also, I'm a little bit surprised I know the new guidance. Normally, you see incidents in the first round, let's say, first, second or third.
“This is the fourth round and we know there's constant battles in there, so it surprised me the first time. And this one, I don't think it's a penalty.”
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