ARTETA LEFT BAFFLED BY PENALTY DECISION IN ARSENAL’S 1-1 DRAW AGAINST BRIGHTON
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left frustrated and disappointed by the penalty decision in his team’s 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion. The Spanish manager expressed his dismay, stating, “I have never seen something like this in my life” and “I am really disappointed. He touches the ball as well!”
Controversial Penalty Decision
The incident in question occurred when William Saliba and Joao Pedro clashed heads, resulting in a penalty being awarded to Brighton. However, Arteta argued that Saliba had touched the ball, making it an unfair penalty decision. The Arsenal manager’s concerns were evident as he spoke to the BBC after the match.
“I have never seen something like this in my life,” Arteta said. “I am really disappointed. He touches the ball as well! It’s a penalty that changes the game. We were in control, and then suddenly, we’re 1-1. It’s really frustrating.”
Premier League Supports Referee’s Decision
Despite Arteta’s protests, the Premier League released a statement supporting the referee’s decision. The statement claimed that the VAR check confirmed sufficient contact for a penalty. However, Arteta remained unconvinced, feeling that the decision was unjust and cost his team the win.
Draw Marks 12th Consecutive Match Without a Loss
The draw marked Arsenal’s 12th consecutive match without a loss across all competitions. However, Arteta’s focus was on the contentious penalty decision, which he felt had a significant impact on the outcome of the match.
“We’re really disappointed because we controlled the game, and we were the better team,” Arteta said. “But we didn’t win, and that’s what matters. We’ll learn from this and move forward.”
Match Stats
- Match: Arsenal vs Brighton & Hove Albion
- Score: 1-1 draw
- Attendance: 60,247
- Yellow cards: 2 (Arsenal), 3 (Brighton)
- Red cards: 0
Arteta’s frustration with the penalty decision was evident, and the Arsenal manager will be hoping that his team can bounce back from this disappointment in their next match.
