Arsenal may have won at Sunderland on Saturday night but Mikel Arteta was left fuming with a refereeing decision which could have cost his side.

The Gunners kept up their perfect start to the Premier League season with a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka.

Things could have been very different, though, as Sunderland were given a penalty on 55 minutes with the game still goalless.

The controversial decision was given as Ezri Konsa was adjudged to have hauled down Dan Ballard in the box, a call that was backed up by VAR.

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Enzo Le Fee saw his spot-kick saved by David Raya and two minutes later Guimaraes gave Arsenal the lead.

Despite picking up three points, the penalty call was still bothering Arteta after the match, saying the officiating was ‘unacceptable’ and accusing Ballard of using a judo move on Konsa.

‘Look, the first question that we have to discuss is, and this is not acceptable at this level, because it was a beautiful game of football, with two teams, with an atmosphere in this stadium, it was unbelievable,’ said Arteta.

‘With Sunderland they are so well organised, they are so good in so many phases, they have great players, they create a lot of issues. We have to cope with all of that, because it was a lot in a really difficult week, after Chelsea and Napoli.

‘And on top of that, we have to go through what we’ve done today, that in my opinion is not acceptable. And I watched it 20 times, and I cannot find a way to understand how we even think to give a penalty in that situation, or the way the VAR has to intervene. So I don’t know what to think, really.

‘But I’m sad that we have to discuss in such a beautiful game something at this level that has the gravity of that, because that changes the course of the season, and it can cost you the championship. And at this level, with all the work that we put in, this cannot happen.’

Explaining his take on the incident, he said: ‘It’s a judo roll. You don’t think it’s a judo roll and it brings the players on the floor. How can this be a penalty? I don’t know.

‘I cannot find an explanation, honestly. That’s why I’m going to try to find an explanation now.’

Former Swansea City and Everton defender Ashley Williams was in agreement with Arteta, baffled by how the referee and VAR came to their decision.

Ashley Williams and Thomas Frank both believe Sunderland should not have been awarded a penalty against Arsenal ❌ pic.twitter.com/ldtmlFOZ4k

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 12, 2026

‘I think he’s got it completely wrong,’ Williams said on Match of the Day of referee John Brooks.

‘Ezri Konsa’s left shoulder is pulled down by Dan Ballard, means he spins round and he obviously lands on top of Dan Ballard.

‘Mikel Arteta’s right, it’s almost a perfect hip toss, like in judo. He’s got hold of him, he can’t do anything about it, he has to roll over.

‘It’s very clever by Dan Ballard but in no way is it a penalty. If anything it has to be a foul the other way.’


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