ZeeboiArsenal’s Mikel Arteta expressed frustration over a penalty decision that he believes altered the momentum of the match, as his team let two points slip in a draw against Everton during their final visit to Goodison Park.
The Gunners took the lead through Leandro Trossard but struggled after the break, losing their grip on the game.
Iliman Ndiaye’s penalty leveled the score for Everton, and Arsenal couldn’t regain their footing, with their focus now shifting to a monumental challenge against Real Madrid.
‘That changes the course of the game’
When asked by the media if he felt a draw fairly reflected the match, Arteta responded:
“I think we deserved more, but that’s what we got at the end at a really tough place to come.”
His comments echo a recurring theme for Arsenal fans this season: while the team often dominates possession and displays physical prowess, they struggle to convert their chances in the attacking third.
“What they do, they do really well, constantly putting long balls into the last line, dealing with direct play and second actions. I think we haven’t conceded anything in the game, which was really positive. We were 1-0 up, had big opportunities, running into spaces, but we didn’t finalise the action.”
Everton capitalized on a lapse in concentration early in the second half. A long ball from Jordan Pickford exposed weaknesses in Arsenal’s defense, with William Saliba and David Raya failing to react effectively.
As Pickford launched another long ball, further errors followed—the ball skipped past Jakub Kiwior, and Myles Lewis-Skelly was caught out, fouling Jack Harrison in the box, leading to the penalty that Ndiaye converted.
Arteta was visibly upset, not only with his players’ lack of focus but also with the officiating decisions.
“In the second half, we didn’t start well, didn’t dominate the game, we had to be more aggressive, have more spaces. We started the opposite, gave the ball straight to the keeper, direct play, trouble.
“Again, direct play, and the referee decides to give a penalty. That changes the course of the game, which I’m here to give my opinion and after seeing it 15 times, there is no way that, in my opinion, that’s a penalty; if there is, then O’Brien has to be out, and Everton has to play with 10 men.”
The Arsenal manager was referring to an earlier moment when Jake O’Brien had obstructed David Raya’s distribution. Arteta had anticipated a challenging match against a side adept at disrupting rhythm, but his players failed to establish the tempo needed to reclaim the lead.
“After, we dominated the game. We didn’t get too much momentum, because it’s constantly breaking play and a big part of that was down to us, because after direct play, we gave very cheap free kicks away. We had two big chances to win the game, we didn’t convert them; we have to accept the point.”
Zeeboi
