Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration regarding the penalty decision against Arsenal, claiming, "I have never seen a decision like this in my career. I asked the boys if they have and nobody has seen it before." His emphasis on the rarity of such a decision underscores his disbelief and disappointment with the officiating during the match.
Arteta further elaborated on the incident, noting, "When you look at the incident, the distance, the player, Joao touching the ball, then Saliba touching the ball, you can see contact there." This highlights his concern that the decision was made without thorough consideration of the events leading up to the penalty.
After the match, a Premier League statement suggested that "there was sufficient contact for a penalty," contradicting Arteta's perspective. This difference in interpretation between the managers and the officiating team points to ongoing discussions about the consistency of refereeing decisions in high-stakes games.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler countered Arteta's view by stating, "It was a clear penalty. It is head-to-head but if it is contact and the player goes down, it doesn’t matter who is in possession of the ball at that moment." His comments emphasize the variations in viewpoints regarding rules of engagement in football.
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