Referee John Brooks pointed to the spot at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, 12 September, and neither the video review nor the league’s official Match Centre has moved off that call since. What the Match Centre did release was the transcript: Brooks told his VAR that Ezri Konsa was “all over” Dan Ballard “at the near post facing the wrong way.” VAR Stuart Attwell answered, “I’m happy that it’s a holding offence. The foul is confirmed. Confirming the on-field decision of penalty.”

David Raya saved Enzo Le Fée’s spot-kick, Bruno Guimarães struck from range shortly afterwards, and Bukayo Saka added a stoppage-time penalty to finish a 2-0 win at Sunderland.

Mikel Arteta was still furious an hour later.

Arteta watched it 20 times

“I’m so upset. It’s unacceptable at this level. It can change a season, a championship. I watched it 10 times. It’s a judo roll,” the Spaniard told broadcasters.

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“It’s not a penalty in any game, in any case, in any contest, in any league.”

In his press conference he pushed the number further.

“I watched it 20 times and I cannot find a way to understand how they think to give a penalty in that situation,” Arteta said, warning that decisions like it “can cost you the championship.”

His clearest verdict was on Ballard.

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“I’m very worried and sad because this can never be a penalty. It’s a judo roll from the opponent. Ezri does nothing.”

What Brooks told his VAR

The Premier League’s line, sent out through its Match Centre feed, is the standard formula for a check that changes nothing: “The referee’s call of penalty to Sunderland for a holding offence by Konsa on Ballard was checked and confirmed by VAR.”

VAR’s threshold for intervention is a clear and obvious error, and Attwell did not find one. Brooks’ description of Konsa being “all over” his marker at a corner was enough for the video review to leave the on-field call as it was.

That is the gap Arteta is refusing to close. He watched the incident on a loop and could not find the foul; the two officials who reviewed it live agreed on it inside a minute.

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Raya’s save spared Arsenal the points cost of the disagreement. The Premier League’s position, in writing, is that the referee got it right.

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