Mikel Arteta expresses anger over William Saliba’s penalty decision and reveals Arsenal have ‘lost’ a player in a dramatic post-match interview.

Mikel Arteta has criticized the decision to award Brighton a penalty during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at the AMEX Stadium on Saturday evening.

The 42-year-old Arsenal manager expressed frustration after referee Anthony Taylor ruled that William Saliba had fouled Brighton forward João Pedro. Initially, it appeared that the 23-year-old Saliba had made head contact with Pedro, who subsequently converted the penalty to score his fifth Premier League goal of the season.

Fans on social media were divided over whether the challenge warranted a penalty. The Premier League later released a statement clarifying the decision:

“The referee’s call of a penalty for a foul by Saliba on João Pedro was checked and confirmed by VAR, which deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty.”

However, reverse-angle footage circulating online sparked further debate, with many supporters suggesting Saliba had won the ball before making any contact with his head.

Arteta was visibly upset during his post-match interview with Sky Sports.

“Very disappointed with the way the penalty was given,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Saliba clearly touches the ball.”

When asked directly if he believed it was a penalty, Arteta responded firmly: “For me, no.”

The frustration didn’t end there for Arsenal. Goalscorer Ethan Nwaneri was substituted at halftime due to a muscular issue, and Arteta delivered concerning news about the youngster after the match.

“Really bad news. I think we’ve lost him. He had to come off at halftime with some muscular problems,” Arteta told BBC Sport.

Arsenal is already dealing with the absence of Bukayo Saka, who has been sidelined since sustaining an injury during the 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace in December. Speaking after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Ipswich on December 27, Arteta provided an update on Saka’s recovery:

“He [Saka] underwent a procedure, and everything went well, but unfortunately, he’ll be out for many weeks. I’d say more than two months, but it’s hard to say exactly. It depends on how the scar tissue heals and his mobility during the first few weeks. We’ll have to wait and see.”