Mikel Arteta expresses outrage over the penalty decision involving William Saliba and reveals Arsenal have suffered a significant player loss in a shocking post-match interview.

Mikel Arteta criticized the decision to award Brighton a penalty in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at the AMEX Stadium on Saturday evening.

The penalty came after William Saliba was judged by referee Anthony Taylor to have fouled Joao Pedro. At first glance, it appeared Saliba, 23, head-butted Pedro, 23, who converted the penalty for his fifth Premier League goal of the season.

The decision sparked debate among fans on social media, with many questioning whether Saliba’s challenge warranted a penalty. The Premier League issued a statement, confirming that VAR reviewed the incident and upheld the decision, deeming there was enough contact to justify the penalty. However, alternative footage circulated online suggested Saliba made contact with the ball before following through.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Arteta expressed his frustration. “I’m very disappointed with the way the penalty was given,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Saliba touches the ball first, so for me, it’s not a penalty.”

In addition to the contentious decision, Arteta revealed another setback as goalscorer Ethan Nwaneri was substituted at halftime due to muscular issues. “It’s really bad news. I think we’ve lost him,” Arteta told BBC Sport.

This adds to Arsenal’s injury concerns, with Bukayo Saka already sidelined after sustaining an injury in December’s 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace. Arteta recently confirmed that Saka underwent a procedure and will be out for over two months, depending on how his recovery pr

ogresses.