Arteta aghast at Brighton penalty as Gunners misfire

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he had never seen anything like the controversial penalty that earned Brighton a 1-1 draw on Saturday, and dealt another seismic blow to the Gunners' Premier League title challenge.

Runaway leader Liverpool held a five point advantage over second-placed Arsenal, and had two games in hand as of Saturday.

Shorn of many of its most potent attacking weapons, Arteta's side led at halftime thanks to 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri's strike.

But, two vital points slipped away when William Saliba was harshly punished for a clash of heads with Joao Pedro, and the Brazilian slotted home the resultant penalty kick.

"We are really disappointed with the decision that led to the goal, because I have never seen something like this in my life," said Arteta. "He (Saliba) touches the ball as well."

With talisman Bukayo Saka out for the next two months with a hamstring injury, Arsenal's attacking options were further depleted by illness.

Kai Havertz failed to even make the match-day squad for the second consecutive game, while captain Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli were only fit enough for appearances from the bench as second-half substitutes.

Nwaneri was the beneficiary, with a second consecutive start. He showed why he is one of the Premier League's rising stars with a clinical finish for the opening goal.

The teenager still had plenty to do as he raced onto Mikel Merino's ball over the top, but his pace took him beyond the Brighton defense before firing low into the far corner on 16 minutes.

But, even he then had to be replaced by Martinelli at halftime after suffering a muscle injury.

"We gave the ball away, and we didn't do the simple things well enough to be really on top of the game and have the dominance we required," added Arteta.

"We did a lot of things with the ball that were not up to standard, so we didn't get any momentum, we never got set in areas so that, afterward, we could generate chances."

Arsenal lacked any penetration without its quartet of attacking stars to build on its lead.

Merino had the one big opportunity to double the Gunners' advantage early in the second period when he skewed wide from a Declan Rice freekick.

Moments later the visiting side was rocked by a controversial call that could have huge ramifications for the title race.

There was the slightest touch between Saliba's head and that of Joao Pedro, but the Brighton forward went down clutching his face and got awarded a penalty.

The Seagulls captain for the day, in the absence of Lewis Dunk, confidently stroked home the spot-kick to level the game.

Arteta responded immediately by summoning Odegaard from the bench.

However, it was Brighton who looked the most likely winner in the closing stages.

Yakuba Minteh wasted a great chance to end its now eight-game winless run, when his shot across goal evaded both Yasin Ayari and Kaoru Mitoma and slid wide of the far post.

"It should be more than a point," said Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.

"We came back, but we were not clean enough in the final third. We had big chances."

A point was enough to edge Brighton back into 10th.

AFP