Arteta seethes at Sunderland penalty decision despite Arsenal win

Arsenal moved to 12 points from four Premier League matches after a 2-0 win over Sunderland, with Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka providing the goals. Guimaraes, who came on at half-time for Myles Lewis-Skelly, opened the scoring with a right-footed curler into the top corner following a pass from Declan Rice. Saka sealed the victory from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time.

The match was overshadowed by a contentious decision that gave Sunderland a penalty in the 55th minute after referee John Brooks ruled Ezri Konsa had pulled Dan Ballard from a corner. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya kept his side level with a save from that spot-kick, but manager Mikel Arteta strongly criticised the original award, calling it unacceptable and warning such calls can affect a season or championship.

Sunderland’s physical approach posed problems for the champions for long periods and, according to Arteta, the visitors deserved credit for making the fixture difficult. Arsenal showed resilience defensively, adding to their run of clean sheets — they have kept four shutouts in five matches since the season began, a sequence that includes their midweek Champions League win in Naples.

The evening also saw Reinildo Mandava sent off for the foul that led to Saka’s late penalty. Arteta singled out Raya for praise after the goalkeeper’s crucial save and stressed the squad’s spirit in grinding out the result. Manchester City remain the only other side yet to drop points and can match Arsenal on 12 points if they beat Manchester United on Sunday.