Arteta: They brought us down with a judo throw and gave a penalty—how is that possible?

After leading Arsenal to a 2-0 away victory over Sunderland in the fourth round of the FA Cup, manager Mikel Arteta attended a press conference.

Mikel, this was clearly a very important away win, especially considering we dropped two points away at Sunderland last season. One of the hot topics now is clearly the penalty decision. What are your thoughts on that?

This is the first thing we need to discuss. At the highest level of football, this is completely unacceptable. Because it was a brilliant football match—both teams played very well, the atmosphere at the stadium was incredible. Sunderland was very well organized, they played brilliantly in many phases of the game, they have great players, they created many problems for us, and we had to overcome all of that. After a very difficult week against Chelsea and Napoli, it was already very demanding, but on top of that, we had to deal with everything we experienced today. In my opinion, this is completely unacceptable.

I've watched that incident 20 times, and I really cannot understand how they could think to give a penalty in that situation, or how VAR could intervene like that. So I really don't know what to say. But I feel very disappointed that in such a brilliant match, we have to discuss something with such serious consequences, because a decision like this can change the entire course of a season, and it could even cost you the league title. In a high-level match like that, after all our effort, this simply should not happen.

What angered you most when you saw the decision?

It's just a judo throw. We did nothing, but their player used a judo throw to bring our player down. How can that happen? I mean, I don't know. Honestly, I cannot find a reasonable explanation. That's why I'm trying to find one now, but I have to stand here facing you all discussing this.

I don't want to talk about this at all. I want to talk about the match itself, about how well we played, how well Sunderland played, the quality of this league, and how beautiful football can be. We shouldn't be discussing a decision like this, or even David Raya's outstanding save. We shouldn't be talking about these things.

Before we talk about the match, did the referee offer any explanation for his decision? Also, you came here 10 months ago and conceded in the 96th minute. Do you think the way your team defended today and how the players fought hard to block shots shows that this team has become more experienced and mature?

Yes, but there was also some luck involved, because Sunderland is very good at that. They commit many players forward, they know exactly what to do, their timing is very good, and they have the right type of players for this style of play. But when you give them space to attack, they can also play some brilliant combinations—they're truly a very, very good team. At another moment in the match, we could have conceded in a different way, which is also part of football.

Mikel, can you describe how brilliant the goal from Bukayo Saka was and the situation he faced today?

Speaking about that goal, I've watched it 20 times. I watched the penalty decision 10 times, and this goal I've watched 20 times—it's exceptional. But it once again showed his fighting spirit and mentality. He came on as a substitute, and this match held special significance for him. Seeing how he dominated the play, the choices he made, and those two key moments—the goal was spectacular. And the assist for Saka, sending him one-on-one with the keeper, that assist was equally brilliant. So I was very impressed with his performance.

Is he now knocking on your door with his performance, demanding a place as a starter?

Honestly, they're all fighting for a starting spot. As I mentioned before, we just went through a very difficult week of matches, and each of them played. They all played very important roles, and that's what we need, because playing every three days and maintaining such a high level is simply impossible without rotation and contributions from the entire squad.

May I ask, how difficult is it to face Brian Brobbey when he plays like he did today? And how satisfied are you with your center backs' performance—not only standing firm and not being intimidated or dominated in duels, but remaining calm and composed on such a difficult night?

Yes, it's very difficult, and also very clever. They operate as a unit and isolate him as the focal point in their attacking play, and he's exceptional at that. And the way other players make runs around him and support is also excellent—not just him individually, but how other players connect with him when he receives the ball. That's why I say Sunderland has many great qualities as a team; they can truly cause many problems for you.

The team seemed to suffer badly from conceding in the 96th minute last season, and tonight the situation was the opposite—you scored a penalty in the 90th minute. Did you use that match from last season as motivation, telling everyone "we need to improve on what we didn't do well last time"?

Yes, because we still carry something from that, especially considering how we lost last time. We knew clearly that today, to win this match, we had to get through some difficult moments and a very chaotic situation in our penalty area, and we did it—we really did. We suffered, but we ultimately won the match.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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