Arteta angry despite Arsenal's 2-0 win at Sunderland over penalty row

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta fumed after his team’s 2-0 victory at Sunderland on Saturday, claiming the visitors were gifted a controversial penalty that could have changed the game. Bruno Guimarães scored the opener from the bench, and Bukayo Saka added a late penalty to seal the win, keeping Arsenal’s perfect start to the 2026-27 Premier League season. Before Guimarães’ goal, referee awarded Sunderland a penalty after Ezri Konsa brought down Dan Ballard in the box; Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya denied Enzo Le Fee’s spot-kick to preserve the clean sheet.

Arteta told TNT Sports the decision was "not a penalty in any case, in any context, in any league," describing the incident as a judo move and saying it was unacceptable because it could alter the course of the season and the title race. Despite the win, he said he was "so upset" and had reviewed the incident multiple times to confirm his view.

The controversy highlights how a single refereeing call can influence title contention, especially for a team aiming to maintain an unbeaten run. Arsenal will look to build on the three points while managing the frustration over what Arteta sees as a clear error. Will you accept the referee’s decision as part of the game, or do you believe such mistakes should be reviewed more strictly to protect title races?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/13/epl-arteta-angry-after-arsenals-2-0-win-at-sunderland/