Arteta Defends Comments on Referee Decision, Discusses Arsenal's Injury Situation

Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal, has defended his strong reaction to a penalty awarded to Sunderland in their recent match, stating his comments stemmed from a duty to "defend my club." The Spaniard confirmed that Arsenal has since engaged in discussions with Pro Ref regarding the incident.

The controversial penalty was given for a challenge involving Dan Ballard and Ezri Konsa. Arteta had publicly described the decision by referee John Brooks as "unacceptable" at the time.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal's upcoming Premier League fixture against Brighton, Arteta emphasized his role. "I am here to try and give my opinion, defend my club, give the very best to my players," he stated. "In order to do so I need to respond in the most direct and fair way. I will make mistakes sometimes but I will try and be as fair as possible."

Arteta also indicated that these discussions with Pro Ref are a regular part of improving the game. "We have a space to talk and give our opinions. It's everybody's duty to try and improve the game," he said.

When questioned about the specifics of the conversation, Arteta replied, "It is a conversation that will remain private." He further clarified that the exchange was not about seeking an apology, distinguishing it from a previous instance involving Manchester United, but rather about aligning on whether the decision should have been different.

In addition to the referee discussion, Arteta provided an update on Arsenal's defensive injuries. He expressed optimism about the potential return of up to four injured defenders for the match against Brighton.

Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera, and Piero Hincapie were among those who did not participate in the recent Carabao Cup match. "Everyone is fine. We still have another training session this afternoon, but I'm very optimistic about all of them," Arteta said. "They all want to be involved, and we'll use the final session to make sure they're ready."

Regarding Ben White, who was substituted at halftime during the Sunderland game, Arteta indicated that the right-back is also well. "All good. We have another training session," he confirmed.