Arsenal claimed a 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light to keep themselves at the top of the Premier League table.
However, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was unhappy after the game over the penalty Sunderland received in the second half.
The home side were awarded a spot kick in the 54th minute when defender Ezri Konsa was adjudged to have held Sunderland’s Dan Ballard by referee John Brooks.
VAR checked and confirmed the call, leaving the Spanish tactician infuriated. He refused to let the matter go in his post-match press conference, constantly circling back to the issue.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said, “This was Mikel Arteta becoming the Alex Ferguson of the Premier League.”
He was likely referring to the legendary Manchester United manager’s penchant for pressuring officials.
Arsenal are set to sit down with English football’s refereeing body, Pro Ref, to discuss the call.
Carragher said that Arteta had been in the league for six to seven years and is now a ‘don’ in the English top flight.
The Gunners have won all four of their league games so far and have conceded just once in that run.
Arsenal are on course to retain their Premier League crown if they can stave off the challenge of Manchester City.
The Cityzens are in transition from Pep Guardiola to Enzo Maresca but have managed to win all their league games so far. They will hope to keep that pressure on the Gunners.
Unfortunately, the rest of the top six do not look capable of mounting a serious challenge this term.
Chelsea are too porous and inconsistent defensively to mount a challenge. Manchester United do not have the tools to do it.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are struggling to get their season off the ground, and Aston Villa have made too many changes to compete.
Tottenham Hotspur look set to compete closer to the bottom end of the table for the third season running.
Arsenal have a chance to extend their dominance in the league. The season is young, but they seem the most well-rounded side.