Mikel Arteta's Fury Over Controversial Penalty Decision

Mikel Arteta raged over a “judo roll” penalty decision he believes could tilt the entire season off course, even as he hailed his players’ resilience and the quality of opponents Sunderland.

The Arsenal manager cut a furious figure as he dissected the spot-kick call, insisting it had no place in elite football.

“I’m so upset. It’s unacceptable at this level. Unacceptable,” Arteta said. “This can change the course of a season, the championship, and it’s not acceptable.

“I’ve seen it ten times to make sure because I watched it live and I said, it’s not possible at this level. There’s going to be a penalty because it’s a judo roll. That’s what it is. It just cannot happen.”

Arteta was adamant there was no room for debate.

“Not in my view, in any view that has played football,” he continued. “I’ve been in football for almost 27 years, 28 years. It’s not a penalty in any case, in any game, in any context, in any league.”

The anger over the decision sat alongside clear admiration for his squad’s response. Arsenal dug in, then went again. And again.

“That is the unbelievable players that we have,” Arteta said. “The spirit and the courage to go again, and again, again. I am so pleased in one sense and so worried in another.”

One of his match-winners drew particular praise, a player Arteta trusts to tilt tight contests.

“Unbelievable. Again,” he said. “He’s a player that decides football matches when we need.”

Arteta refused to let the controversy drown out recognition of Sunderland’s display. He repeatedly circled back to Tony Mowbray’s side and the challenge they posed.

“Big credit to Sunderland as well, the way they play, the way they are coached,” he said. “What they do because they are a really good team. I don’t want to take any credit out of them because they really deserve a lot of credit for how hard they make it for you.

“Not only that, in periods they play, have courage, and have a great understanding of what they have to do throughout the game. It’s been extremely tough, really happy that we’ve done it.”

Arteta left with three points and a simmering sense of injustice. If he is right about decisions shaping titles, this flashpoint will not be forgotten in a hurry.