Mikel Arteta Bemoans ‘Bizarre’ Penalty Decision n Brighton Draw

Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge suffered a setback on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration with the “bizarre” penalty decision that allowed the hosts to equalize, calling it something he has “never seen” in his career.

The Gunners took the lead early in the first half through 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who became the first player to score two league goals for the club before turning 18. However, their advantage was short-lived as Brighton were awarded a controversial penalty just before the hour mark.

The incident occurred when Brighton forward Joao Pedro flicked the ball up in the air and, as he attempted to nod it into his own path, clashed heads with Arsenal defender William Saliba. Referee Anthony Taylor took a few seconds to consider what had happened before pointing to the spot, a decision that was upheld by VAR.

Arteta was left baffled by the call, telling the BBC after the game, “We are really disappointed with the decision that leads to the goal because I have never seen something like this in my life. He touches the ball as well. [It is] bizarre. That means we have probably never seen it before. I haven’t in my career. I checked and, after three seconds, they said they already checked VAR. It seems quick.”

The Spanish coach also acknowledged that the penalty was not the sole reason for Arsenal dropping points, admitting that his team’s performance was below par. “We did a lot of things not to the standard with the ball, so we didn’t get any momentum, we never got set in areas that after we could generate chances and counter press in the right moment,” Arteta said. “We conceded one chance when we had 10 players on the floor and [Yankuba] Minteh takes off. I think we have to do much better things than today and unfortunately we lost two points.”

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, on the other hand, felt the penalty decision was the correct one. “It was a clear penalty. It is head to head, but if it is another piece of the body everybody would say it was a penalty,” the German said. “Joao Pedro places the ball with his head and Saliba comes too late.”

The draw leaves Arsenal five points behind league leaders Liverpool, having played two games more. Nwaneri’s goal, his second in the league this season, provided a bright spot for the Gunners, but the teenager was forced off at half-time due to a muscular issue.

As Arsenal look to keep their title hopes alive, they face a quick turnaround with a Carabao Cup semifinal against Newcastle United on Tuesday. Defender Riccardo Calafiori emphasized the need for the team to focus on themselves rather than the title race, saying, “It’s not the moment to think too much about the title. We need to focus on ourselves.”

The Gunners will need to regroup and address their shortcomings if they are to maintain their challenge for the Premier League crown. With crucial matches against Newcastle, Manchester United, and Liverpool on the horizon, Arteta and his players will have to dig deep to ensure they remain in contention for their first league title since 2004.