Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration with the decision to award Brighton a penalty that denied Arsenal a victory. Ethan Nwaneri’s first-half goal had put Arsenal ahead, but William Saliba was penalized for catching João Pedro in the face while attempting to clear the ball. Pedro converted the penalty to secure a 1-1 draw for Brighton.
Arteta criticized the decision, calling it unprecedented. He explained that after reviewing the incident, he saw Saliba make contact with the ball, which he believed should have influenced the decision. Arteta questioned the speed of the officials’ review, expressing disbelief at how quickly the check was completed.
The draw leaves Arsenal trailing Liverpool by five points, with the league leaders having played two fewer matches. Arsenal’s situation was further complicated by injuries and illnesses. Nwaneri, who scored his second Premier League goal, was forced off at halftime, while captain Martin Ødegaard could only feature as a second-half substitute due to illness. Kai Havertz was also unavailable.
Arsenal now face a challenging schedule, including a Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle and an FA Cup clash with Manchester United. Arteta acknowledged the difficulty of managing a hectic January fixture list with a depleted squad. He admitted that his players struggled to maintain their intensity in the second half, citing a lack of freshness and quality as key factors.
Despite the setback, Arteta praised his team for their effort under difficult circumstances, including injuries and a congested schedule. However, he emphasized the need for better second-half performances to dominate games and secure results. When asked if the match would influence Arsenal’s transfer plans, Arteta insisted that decisions would not be based on a single performance. He expressed hope that the team would be in a stronger position for their upcoming fixtures.
