Miguel Delaney: Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have bigger issues than the ‘bizarre’ penalty decision at Brighton

A game at Brighton that may well be characterised by the definition of “sufficient contact”. That’s one way to describe Arsenal temporarily moving to within five points of Liverpool, although with the knowledge that could extend to 11 from two games in hand, after another debated penalty decision cost Mikel Arteta’s side victory. They had been looking to grind out a 1-0 win, only for a William Saliba attempt at a header to bring a collision with Joao Pedro, that was adjudged to be a penalty.

Arsenal were furious, especially since Saliba seemed to touch the ball first. An inevitable complaint from supporters was that it’s the sort of decision you only see given against their club, but then it was also just a bizarre moment of the type you don’t usually see at all. Arteta wasn’t focusing on that aspect.



He initially described the decision as “very disappointing”, before adding “I’ve never seen a decision” - not “a moment” - like this in my career”..