Mikel Arteta fumes at 'unacceptable' refereeing despite Arsenal victory as David Raya saves penalty in Sunderland clash

Arsenal maintained their perfect start to the campaign after overcoming a resilient Sunderland side with a 2-0 victory at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Raya pulled off a heroic penalty save from Enzo Le Fee just 121 seconds before second-half substitute Guimaraes opened his account for the club with a stunning 20-yard curler. Saka then made sure of the points in stoppage time from the penalty spot following a second yellow card for Reinildo Mandava.

Despite watching his side extend their winning run to six matches in all competitions, Arteta was furious with referee John Brooks' decision to penalise Ezri Konsa for a tussle with Dan Ballard. Hitting out at the officiating after the match, the Spanish manager told TNT Sports: "They [the officials] could have changed the game. You know."

Asked if he was referring to Sunderland's penalty, Arteta added: "Yes. 100%. It is unacceptable at this level. Unacceptable. This can change the course of a season. It's not acceptable. I have watched it 10 times to make sure. It cannot happen. I have been involved in football for 27 or 28 years. It's not a penalty in any case, in any game, in any context in any league. I'm so pleased in one sense, but I'm so worried in another."

Raya's brilliant stop from 12 yards preserved the Gunners' clean sheet and established him as the only goalkeeper to save a Premier League penalty so far this season. Voicing deep concerns over the use of VAR and the overall standard of officiating, Arteta told BBC Match of the Day: "Are you surprised? No? Okay.

"It's a judo roll from the opponent. Ezri does nothing. Just watch it. We have a lot of cameras and VAR; we have to take responsibility to protect the game. The game was unprotected, and it could have cost us the game and the momentum, which is a really, really serious thing.

"I loved the save from David, and the way the team reacted, the way we went against everything, but this should never happen; it's not fair, and I am sad, very sad, in that sense. I'm making it very clear publicly because it's for the game; it's not only for Arsenal. This cannot happen at this level."

Sunderland, currently languishing in 14th place, must quickly regroup ahead of their Europa League opener against Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar in midweek. Meanwhile, Arteta's side will look to carry their flawless winning momentum into cup action when they travel to Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup third round. The Spanish manager must ensure his players maintain their composure and avoid letting officiating controversies derail them during a demanding fixture schedule.