Arsenal will lodge a formal complaint with the referees' body over a penalty decision in their recent win at Sunderland. The Gunners secured a 2-0 victory at the Stadium of Light last Friday, but the match was overshadowed by a first-half incident that saw referee John Brooks award the hosts a spot-kick.

Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, watched the incident multiple times and was scathing in his assessment. "It is unacceptable at this level. Unacceptable," Arteta said. "This can change the course of a season. It's not acceptable." The penalty was given for an alleged foul by Ezri Konsa on Sunderland defender Dan Ballard, a call that was not reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee.

Raya's key save

Sunderland's Enzo Le Fée stepped up to take the penalty, but his effort was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. That stop proved key, as Arsenal went on to score twice in the second half. Bruno Guimarães broke the deadlock in the 58th minute before Bukayo Saka sealed the win with a penalty of his own in stoppage time.

For Sunderland, the defeat left them 14th in the Premier League table with four points from their opening four games. They have taken four points from a possible 12 so far this season. Their next fixture is a daunting trip to second-placed Manchester City this weekend, a challenge made tougher by the absence of injured players Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle.

Wider refereeing scrutiny

The complaint comes amid heightened scrutiny of officiating, following a separate high-profile error in the Manchester derby. In that match, a goal for Manchester City's Erling Haaland was allowed to stand after a VAR review, a decision that the referees' body later acknowledged was wrong. They contacted Manchester United to admit an error of judgement, stating the VAR should have recommended an on-field review.

Arsenal's move signals their intent to hold officials accountable for decisions they believe could impact the title race. The Gunners maintained their 100% start to the season with the win, leaving Sunderland eight points adrift of the league leaders. The Black Cats' recent form shows two wins, a draw and two losses from their last five outings, a run you can examine in the stats section. Their next task is to regroup for the trip to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Read the full report at Daily Mirror Football