Mikel Arteta: The Arsenal manager expresses dissatisfaction with the draw against Everton due to a contentious decision made by the referee.

Myles Lewis-Skelly’s challenge on Jack Harrison was “never a penalty,” according to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who believes the decision altered the course of his side’s 1-1 draw against Everton.

The Gunners went into the half-time break leading 1-0, thanks to Leandro Trossard’s clinical finish from a Raheem Sterling-led counter-attack in the 34th minute. However, just moments into the second half, referee Darren England pointed to the spot after Lewis-Skelly and Harrison went down in a tangle. The Arsenal full-back was deemed to have made sufficient contact while attempting to recover from misjudging the bounce of the incoming ball.

The contact between the two players began outside the penalty area but continued into the box. The Premier League later issued a statement confirming the on-pitch decision made by England, which was reaffirmed by VAR official Stuart Attwell. “The referee’s call of penalty for the challenge by Lewis-Skelly on Harrison was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact deemed to be sufficient for a penalty and inside the area,” the Premier League Match Centre wrote on X.

Arteta, however, expressed his displeasure with the decision and its impact on the match. Speaking to TNT Sports, he admitted to being “unhappy” with his side’s 11th draw of the Premier League season. “Especially with the result, very unhappy,” he said. “It’s a very tough place to come, a team that is very physical and direct. If you don’t deal with their play constantly well, you don’t get momentum, so it’s very difficult.”

He continued, “The start of the second half was very poor; we gave the ball away, and we were just insecure in what we do with one another. Then the decision of the penalty comes. For me, it is never a penalty. The timing was really bad because the game just started in the second half. You want to generate some momentum, especially going ahead. We never got to do that because the game became really different.”

The draw allowed Arteta’s side to cut Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to 11 points, although the Gunners have now played one game more than their Merseyside rivals.

Former Arsenal defender and TNT Sports pundit Martin Keown believes that too many draws have derailed Arsenal’s title hopes this season, although he sympathised with the extensive injury list Arteta has had to manage throughout the campaign. “There are games they were winning last year; there weren’t many draws in there,” Keown said. “This year, too many draws. Of course, they are hamstrung with injuries, players out in the final third, and that’s really affected them.”

Keown also noted that the injuries, particularly Gabriel’s recent season-ending injury, have forced Arteta to shift his focus away from closing the gap to league leaders Liverpool.

Looking ahead, Arteta’s side will face Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final showdown on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium. Keown felt that the clash at Goodison Park was more about “preservation” of key players than securing a vital win. “They’re looking at it now that winning at Everton is not the priority today,” Keown said. “They’re looking at other games, another competition, a huge competition of course; it’s about preservation really. It’s because the squad has that list of injuries. Credit to Moyes; it’s a totally different Everton now. One defeat in 11, coming here and drawing is an okay result.”

The second leg of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on Wednesday, April 16.