Sunderland vs Arsenal: Keith Hackett Agrees With Controversial Penalty

· GiveMeSport

The Arsenal manager was incensed over the decision to award Sunderland a penalty, as an ex-PGMOL chief weighs in.

Mikel Arteta 's fury at the penalty awarded against his side at the Stadium of Light has not been shared by one of English refereeing's most senior former voices.

Keith Hackett, who spent six years as general manager of the PGMOL after a career that took in the 1981 FA Cup final and refereeing at international level, has publicly backed John Brooks over the decision that left the Arsenal manager seething.

Brooks pointed to the spot in the 54th minute of Arsenal 's 2-0 win over Sunderland , judging that Ezri Konsa had held Dan Ballard at the near post from a corner. VAR Stuart Attwell checked the call and confirmed it.

David Raya then saved Enzo Le Fee's spot-kick before the champions settled the game as Bruno Guimaraes struck from 25 yards two minutes later and Bukayo Saka settled it from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

Hackett, a regular and often critical observer of Premier League officiating, framed the incident as an overdue crackdown on grappling in the box rather than a refereeing error.

"The photo and video of this incident says it all," he wrote on X. "It is supposed to be football we are watching, not rugby!!!"

He went further in a second post, responding to the argument doing the rounds that Ballard had initiated the contact and that Arsenal should have had a free-kick. "Amazing – they are conditioned and have allowed grappling to blight our game," Hackett posted. "Good to see a ref do something about it."

Hackett's default position on contentious calls tends to be scepticism towards the officials, and his verdict cuts directly against the consensus forming around Arsenal's complaint. It was a moment that has been widely contested on both sides of the decision.

The league's own explanation arrived before Hackett's, and it did little to cool the debate. In a statement posted on X , the Premier League confirmed the call and released the dialogue between the middle and Stockley Park.

"The referee's call of penalty to Sunderland for a holding offence by Konsa on Ballard was checked and confirmed by VAR," it read, with Brooks quoted as saying: "He's all over him at the near post facing the wrong way."

Attwell's response: "I'm happy that it's a holding offence. The foul is confirmed. Confirming the on-field decision of penalty." Yet, the Arsenal manager was immovable in his viewpoint.

None of that has satisfied Arteta, who described the award as a "judo roll" by Ballard and insisted Konsa did nothing wrong. "It's unacceptable at this level," he told TNT Sports. "This can change the course of a season."

It resulted in a key moment for his side, as Raya's save spurred Arsenal to go and take the lead minutes later and then turn a difficult evening into a comfortable away victory.

Hackett's point is that, on another evening, it would cost a defender far less to simply let go, and it lends itself to wider conversations about the Gunners' aggressive nature in both boxes.

This time, thanks to Raya, they got away with it. Yet, it will be interesting to see how it goes as the season progresses, as Arsenal's reputation in both boxes is tested and analysed more than ever, with this being the first example of true scrutiny so far this season.

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