Arteta confirms private Pro Ref talks after Arsenal's Sunderland penalty fury

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Pro Ref reached out to Arsenal after his furious response to the penalty decision in last weekend’s 2-0 win at Sunderland, but declined to share any details of what was discussed, saying only that the conversation would “remain private”.

The Gunners secured victory at the Stadium of Light through goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka, but the result could have looked very different. With the score still goalless, Sunderland were awarded a penalty after Ezri Konsa pulled down Dan Ballard in the area — a decision David Raya ultimately rendered irrelevant with a superb save to deny Enzo Le Fee.

Arteta was scathing in his post-match assessment, calling the decision “unacceptable” and warning of its potential consequences. “This can change the course of a season,” he said. “I have watched it 10 times to make sure. It’s not a penalty in any game, in any context, in any league. I’m so pleased in one sense, I’m so worried in another.”

Speaking at his Friday press conference, Arteta was asked about any subsequent contact with Pro Ref. “We discuss many topics and very important all of them — to give their opinions, and everyone’s duty to try and improve the game,” he said, before confirming the substance of those talks would stay behind closed doors.

The episode arrives during a difficult week for Pro Ref more broadly. Manchester United received an apology after VAR allowed Erling Haaland’s winning goal in the Manchester derby to stand despite Enzo Fernandez being in an offside position. When asked whether Arsenal were similarly expecting an apology, Arteta was direct: “It is not about an apology. It is about agreeing that the decision should be different or not.”

The remarks underline a growing frustration at Arsenal with refereeing standards at a point in the season when marginal calls carry significant weight in the title race.