Mikel Arteta said he was “disappointed” by the decision to award a second-half penalty to Brighton, as Arsenal drew 1-1 at the Amex Stadium on Saturday night.
Arteta's team was aiming to close the gap with Premier League leaders Liverpool, who will face Manchester United on Sunday, but failed to get the three points on the south coast despite taking the lead in the first half through youngster Ethan Nwaneri.
The Gunners came back after the break and the hosts came back strong. Fabian Horzler's side were rewarded for their efforts when they were awarded a penalty after William Saliba attempted to head the ball away but instead caught striker Joao Pedro's header.
The Brazilian sent in the penalty and from there Brighton wasted a few chances to win the game late on.
Sharing the points at Brighton.
A chance to turn the page quickly on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/OvxH20cvqa
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 4, 2025
But the Gunners coach felt that referee Anthony Taylor's decision to award the penalty kick was harsh.
“We are disappointed because we wanted to win the game,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
“We started the game with some good movement and scored a really good goal. We knew it was going to be a really competitive and challenging game.
“But we competed. It wasn't our best day, especially with the ball in the second half. We got a lot of simple balls, and they didn't really let us take control of the game.”
“I can't fault the effort, the intensity, how much we wanted it, but doing the simple things has to be right against a really good team. Today was not of the standards required to win the game.
“We are very disappointed in the way (referee Anthony Taylor) awarded the penalty kick. I have never seen that in my life. For me, it is a clear no.”
An Arsenal win would have put them three points clear of Liverpool. As it stands, the Gunners are currently five points behind Arne Slott's side having played two games more.
But Arteta chose not to answer questions about his title rivals and instead continued to focus on his players.
Arteta added: “Today we wanted to win the match and we were not able to do that.”
“There are certain things we have to improve on. We are also very disappointed with the (penalty kick) decision and then we have to try to be better in the next match.
Next up for Arsenal is the visit of in-form Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao semi-final on Tuesday.
