Arteta Laments Un-Called Penalty in Arsenal Draw
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration after the 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest, pointing out a “very clear penalty” which, according to him, was not called. The team, which leads the Premier League, missed the opportunity to extend its lead to nine points, after Manchester City’s defeat to Manchester United. Despite Arsenal’s dominance for much of the match at the City Ground, the score remained unchanged, leaving the team with a seven-point lead over City. Gabriel Martinelli wasted a clear opportunity, and Declan Rice also saw his attempt frustrated by a block from Nikola Milenkovic in the first half. Mikel Arteta ‘convinced’ Arsenal have the ability to win four trophies Substitutes Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka came close to scoring, but Arteta lamented a play in the 80th minute in which Forest defender Ola Aina was reviewed by VAR for a possible handball.Arteta highlighted the clear opportunities created by his team, including one for Martinelli and another for Rice, as well as a header from Bukayo and the play of the uncalled penalty.“We came here to win the match and we didn’t achieve it for different reasons,” Arteta commented. “It’s a credit to them because they are very well organized and they are very good at breaking the rhythm when you have a certain superiority in the game.”
Mikel Arteta
Reflecting on the missed opportunity to extend the lead, Arteta added: “Every week is an opportunity. We want to win every match and, if we had done so, we would be in a different position. We took a step, a smaller one than we would have liked, but it’s a step.”“He hits the shoulder and then takes the ball with his hand. So the explanation is not correct, but the rest is fine,” Arteta said. “The order is fine, but the moment and the intention of the play are very clear. If not, I wouldn’t be here, and in my opinion, it’s a very clear penalty.”
Mikel Arteta
