Arsenal are set to contact referees’ chief Howard Webb and Pro Ref over the controversial penalty awarded against them during Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Sunderland.
Mikel Arteta was furious after Ezri Konsa was penalised for his tussle with Dan Ballard at a second-half corner, despite the Arsenal defender appearing to be dragged to the ground as the pair tangled.
Referee John Brooks awarded the spot-kick and VAR Stuart Attwell upheld the on-field decision.
David Raya ultimately prevented the incident from costing Arsenal by saving Enzo Le Fée’s penalty before Bruno Guimarães and Bukayo Saka secured another Premier League victory.
The controversy is not over, however.
Fresh reporting says Arsenal intend to raise the incident directly with **Webb and Pro Ref**, the organisation formerly known as PGMOL.
Arsenal escalate Sunderland penalty row
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Arteta made his feelings unmistakable after the final whistle.
The Arsenal manager described the decision as **“unacceptable at this level”** and argued that Ballard’s movement resembled a “judo roll”.
He was particularly concerned by the potential consequences of such a decision during a title race.
The Premier League Match Centre later explained that Brooks believed Konsa was holding Ballard at the near post, while VAR agreed there was sufficient evidence to support the penalty rather than overturn the referee.
Arsenal will now seek further clarification from the refereeing authorities.
That represents a significant progression from Arteta simply expressing his anger publicly.
ReadArsenal had already examined the officiating set-up before the fixture in our [Sunderland vs Arsenal referee and VAR guide](https://readarsenal.com/2026/09/11/sunderland-vs-arsenal-referee-john-brooks-var/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
Another refereeing issue after Aston Villa admission
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The Sunderland dispute follows another controversial Arsenal incident earlier this season.
The Premier League’s Key Match Incident Panel concluded that VAR should have intervened when Ian Maatsen challenged Bruno Guimarães during Arsenal’s victory at Aston Villa.
ReadArsenal covered the [Premier League’s VAR mistake admission after the Aston Villa game](https://readarsenal.com/2026/09/09/premier-league-var-mistake-arsenal-aston-villa/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), with the panel determining Arsenal should have been awarded a penalty.
The incidents will inevitably intensify Arteta’s concern over consistency.
Pro Ref has also come under scrutiny elsewhere this weekend after acknowledging an error in Manchester City’s winning goal against Manchester United, admitting an on-field review should have been recommended over Enzo Fernández’s offside position.
That case is separate from Arsenal’s complaint, but it adds to a weekend dominated by refereeing debate.
Raya ensured Arsenal escaped punishment
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The biggest relief for Arsenal is that the Sunderland decision did not alter the result.
Raya saved Le Fée’s spot-kick before Arsenal scored twice to maintain their perfect Premier League start.
The Gunners have won all four league matches and remain top of the table on goal difference.
Arteta, though, clearly believes the outcome should not prevent Arsenal from challenging a decision he considers fundamentally wrong.
The next development will be whether Pro Ref agrees with the champions — or stands by Brooks and Attwell.