Mikel Arteta launches scathing attack on referee over "unacceptable" Sunderland penalty in Arsenal win

By Ben Knapton | 12 Sep 2026 23:02, Last updated: 12 Sep 2026 23:02

Arsenal caput manager Mikel Arteta lashed retired astatine referee John Brooks pursuing his determination to grant Sunderland a arguable punishment successful the Gunners' 2-0 Premier League victory.

The reigning English champions maintained their cleanable grounds successful 2026-27 with a hard-fought triumph astatine the Stadium of Light, acknowledgment to Bruno Guimaraes's stunner and Bukayo Saka's penalty.

However, the result could person been importantly different, had David Raya not sprung to his near and heroically kept retired an Enzo Le Fee spot footwear aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

The Black Cats were awarded the punishment by Brooks aft Ezri Konsa was deemed to person illegally held Daniel Ballard astatine a corner, and the VAR country backed up the official's on-field decision.

Mikel Arteta: 'Never a punishment successful immoderate league'

Despite overseeing a 4th triumph from 4 games successful the Premier League season, Arteta was successful nary temper for solemnisation astatine afloat time, arsenic helium utilized his TNT Sports interrogation to blast the officiating team.

"It's a immense win, but it could person been thing precise different. You cognize what way, successful the mode that they could person changed the game. You cognize who," Arteta said.

"I'm truthful upset. It's unacceptable astatine this level. This tin alteration the people of the season, the championship, it's unacceptable. I've seen it 10 times, I spot it 10 times, I said it's intolerable it tin beryllium a penalty.

"It's a judo roll, it conscionable cannot happen. I've been successful shot for 28 years, it's not a punishment successful immoderate case, immoderate game, immoderate context, immoderate league. I'm truthful pleased successful 1 consciousness and truthful disquieted successful another."

Premier League uncover referee, VAR speech starring to Sunderland penalty

Shortly aft Sunderland's spot footwear was given, the Premier League Match Centre revealed the speech betwixt Brooks and the VAR that led to the grant of the penalty.

"He’s each implicit him astatine the adjacent station facing the incorrect way," Brooks said, earlier the VAR replied "I’m blessed that it’s a holding offence. The foul is confirmed. Confirming the on-field determination of penalty."

The PL lucifer centre - posting connected X - besides shared the existent considerations for a holding offence successful the Premier League, successful which referees were told to follow a caller attack to specified incidents successful 2026-27.

Officials see whether determination was an effort from the offender to play the ball, whether the offender held his hostile with some arms, and whether the holding was 'sustained' oregon 'impactful'.

In the Konsa-Ballard case, the threshold was met successful Brooks's view, but the referee apt avoided the worst of Arteta's wrath acknowledgment to the ever-reliable Raya.