Mikel Arteta voiced his frustration over the controversial penalty given to Brighton in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw on Saturday night, a decision that was later explained in an official statement by the Premier League.
Arsenal had taken the lead early through Ethan Nwaneri’s goal and held onto their advantage until the final 30 minutes, when Brighton equalized under contentious circumstances.
The incident unfolded when Joao Pedro went down after a slight clash with William Saliba, who had attempted to clear the ball with his head. After a long review, referee Anthony Taylor awarded the penalty, which was confirmed by VAR. The Premier League later clarified that Saliba’s actions led to the penalty, a moment that could impact Arsenal’s title race.
“The referee’s decision of a penalty for a foul by Saliba on João Pedro was reviewed and confirmed by VAR, who deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty,” the Premier League stated on their Match Centre’s X account.
Pedro, who had scored the equalizer in their previous match at the Emirates, shared his thoughts post-match, stating that he believed Taylor’s decision was correct.
“I tried to control the ball and then [Saliba] hit me. It’s great that I scored. I always try to be positive with goals and assists. I enjoy the feeling [of scoring] and hope to score more,” he said.
Arteta, however, disagreed with Taylor’s call, pointing out that replays showed Saliba made slight contact with the ball. He expressed disappointment, saying, “I’m disappointed because we wanted to win the game. We started well with a good goal, but we knew it would be tough. We gave away too many balls in the second half, and we’re upset about the penalty.
“I’ve never seen that in my life – Saliba touches the ball. For me, it wasn’t a penalty.”
He also acknowledged Arsenal’s need for improvement: “We’re playing every three days. I understand how much we want to win, but in terms of quality, consistency, and doing the simple things right against a competitive team, we didn’t do enough today.”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright was furious with Taylor’s decision, as the result left the Gunners five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, although Arsenal still have two games in hand.
Wright told Optus Sport: “I don’t know what to believe anymore. This is ridiculous. We have the worst officials in Europe. There’s no way that’s a penalty, I’m not having it. I can’t sit with it and I can’t understand it.”
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