It was the most controversial moment in Arsenal’s 2–0 win over Sunderland yesterday. When Dan Ballard and Arsenal new signing Ezri Konsa both went down in the penalty area, the referee pointed to the spot. You can see the incident here in the highlights from the 47-second mark.
Ballard pulled the Arsenal star down with him, which is why Mikel Arteta vented his frustration after the final whistle. Although David Raya saved Enzo Le Fée’s shot, the wrong decision could also have put the Gunners behind at 0–0.
Advertisement
“I’m absolutely furious, this is unacceptable at this level,” Arteta said bluntly. “This can decide an entire season or even the title.” He said he watched the incident 10 to 20 times afterwards and was left stunned. “That’s a judo roll. Something like that simply cannot happen. It’s a great win, but it could also have gone very differently,” said Arteta. “That could have decided the game.”
He also strongly criticized the fact that VAR did not intervene and that the referee’s wrong decision on the pitch was allowed to stand without correction.
“I thought David’s [Raya’s] save was fantastic, the team’s reaction, the way we kept going and fought against everything, but something like this should never happen, it’s not fair, and I’m sad, very sad about it,” Arteta added.
Driven by Raya’s save, Arsenal then took control. Bruno Guimaraes (58′) put the visitors ahead just two minutes after the missed penalty. In stoppage time, Arsenal were then awarded a penalty of their own, which Bukayo Saka converted (90+7).
Advertisement
Despite the win, the incident leaves a bitter aftertaste in the title race. What do you make of the situation: can you understand Arteta’s anger? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
Read the full article here
