Furious Arteta: "This is not a penalty anywhere, under any circumstances"

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed strong dissatisfaction with the referee's decision to award a penalty against his team in the match against Sunderland from the fourth round of the Premier League, which ended 2-0.

In the 54th minute, referee John Brooks pointed to the spot for the Black Cats, ruling that Ezri Konsa had fouled Daniel Ballard during a cross into the box. The Gunners' defender brought his opponent down, though replays suggested Ballard might have initiated contact by pulling his opponent's shirt.

"At this level, this is unacceptable. Unacceptable. Decisions like these can change the course of an entire season," Arteta stated.

"This is unacceptable. I watched the replay of the situation ten times to be sure. Such things should not happen," he added.

"I've been in football for 27-28 years. This is not a penalty in any match, under any circumstances, and in any league," the Spanish specialist concluded his angry remarks.

Arsenal has maintained a perfect start to the season, topping the league table with a maximum of 12 points.