‘Never seen this before’

Arsenal manager Arteta says penalty for clash of heads between Saliba and Brighton’s Pedro in 1-1 draw is bizzare

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he had never seen anything like Brighton’s controversial penalty to earn a 1-1 draw on Saturday that dealt another seismic blow to the Gunners’ title challenge. 

Runaway leaders Liverpool hold a five point lead over second-placed Arsenal and have two games in hand. Shorn of many of their most potent attacking weapons, Arteta’s men led at half-time thanks to Ethan Nwaneri’s strike. But two vital points slipped away when William Saliba was harshly punished for a clash of heads with Joao Pedro and the Brazilian slotted home the resulting spot-kick. 

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Mikel Arteta

“We are really disappointed with the decision that leads to the goal because I have never seen something like this in my life. It’s bizzare. He [Saliba] touched the ball as well,” said Arteta. 

Saka out for two months

With talisman Bukayo Saka out for the next two months with a hamstring injury, Arsenal’s attacking options were further depleted by illness. Kai Havertz failed to even make the matchday squad for the second consecutive game, while captain Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli were only fit enough to make the bench. Nwaneri, 17, was the beneficiary with a second consecutive start and showed why he is one of the league’s rising stars with a clinical finish for the opener. The teen still had plenty to do as he raced onto Mikel Merino’s ball over the top, but his pace took him beyond the Brighton defence before firing low into the far corner on 16 minutes. But he was replaced at half-time after suffering a muscle injury.

Pedro goes down

Early in the second-half, Arsenal got a controversial call that could hurt their title race. There was a slight touch from Saliba’s head onto Pedro, but he went down clutching his face and won a spot-kick, which he converted.

Thereafter, Brighton looked the more likelier side to win, but lacked precision in the final third. 

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