Mikel Arteta said the decision to award Sunderland a penalty could have cost Arsenal the Premier League title, even though his side emerged 2-0 winners at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Sunderland had the chance to take the lead early in the second period when Ezri Konsa was penalised for wrestling Dan Ballard to the floor.
Arteta was furious as pictures showed Ballard was also pulling the England international as the pair fell to the ground inside the Arsenal box.
The decision ultimately mattered little as Enzo Le Fee’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by David Raya.
Just two minutes later, Bruno Guimaraes blasted Arsenal in front with his first goal for the club before Bukayo Saka’s penalty sealed all three points in stoppage time.
But the result did not hold back Arteta’s ire towards the officials.
“We have to go through what was done today that, in my opinion, is not acceptable. I watched it 20 times, and I cannot find a way to understand how they think to give a penalty in that situation or the way the VAR has not intervened,” said Arteta.
“I don’t know what to think, really. 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.
“At this level, with all the work that we put in, this cannot happen.”
Guimaraes was Arsenal’s big-money recruit of the transfer window, but the 75 million pounds ($87 million) signing is yet to start for his new club as Arteta has kept faith with Myles Lewis-Skelly alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in midfield.
The Brazilian was introduced at half-time and proved his worth with a brilliant strike to break the deadlock and silence the Sunderland fans who aimed at the former Newcastle United captain.
Guimaraes also had a hand in Arsenal’s second goal as, from his pass, Saka was chopped down for the penalty.
“The personality that he has. He comes in, and this is a special game for him as well, what it means for him, and how he grabs the game,” added Arteta.
“The decisions that he’s made and the two actions. The goal is incredible, and the assist as well to Bukayo to put him through in front of goal; it’s unbelievable as well.”
A fourth win from four Premier League games takes the defending champions three points clear at the top of the table.
De Zerbi apologises
Earlier on Saturday, Roberto De Zerbi said sorry to Tottenham Hotspur’s furious fans after his winless side were booed off following their 0-0 draw against Everton.
De Zerbi’s side have yet to score a single goal in four Premier League matches this season, and Tottenham supporters showed their frustration at the final whistle.
After the jeers had rained down from the stands, Tottenham boss De Zerbi said he understood the abuse.
“I’m sorry for the fans. They were fantastic today. It is normal, the reaction of the fans,” he said.
Asked how he felt about the bleak start to the season after Tottenham splashed out more than 300 million pounds ($406 million) on 10 signings, De Zerbi said: “It is not a tough moment. A tough moment was last season at Sunderland when we were close to relegation.
“Now is one of the moments in football when you are rebuilding a team.
“We played very well in the first 30 minutes, then we lost energy because our physical condition is not the best. We are working for that.”
Tottenham’s miserable form has left them languishing just above the relegation zone after two draws and two defeats from their first four games.
Their only win and goals this season came in a League Cup victory over second-tier Charlton.
Tottenham’s lack of attacking firepower is a major concern, and De Zerbi conceded they lacked composure in the Everton penalty area.
“We didn’t shoot enough for the quality of the play we showed. We had to shoot more times. We went inside the area 74 times, but we didn’t create enough for the quality of the play,” he said.
“We have to work, for sure. We have to analyse the quality of the decisions, but we made too many wrong decisions. I’m not positive, and I’m not negative. I am realistic.
“I have to analyse the performance and the potential situations when we could shoot and score with better decisions.”
Tottenham only avoided relegation on the final day of last season and have finished 17th for the last two years.
Their summer spending spree was supposed to end their miserable period of underachievement.
But De Zerbi admitted his team lacked confidence as the game wore on, with the tense atmosphere in the stadium adding to their anxious display.
“I observed my players with a little less confidence in the second half, and I don’t like this. They need to understand that we are in the right way,” he said.
“They are human. They are sensitive; they have emotions. My position is to help them and stay focused on the improvement we need to do.
“If we play 90 minutes like we did the first thirty, we will win many games.”
