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Published : 05 Apr 2025, 09:12 PM
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta disagreed with the decision to award Everton a penalty for a foul by Myles Lewis-Skelly as his side saw their Premier League title dream fade further with a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Second-placed Arsenal are 11 points behind leaders Liverpool and have now played a game more, with the latter at Fulham on Sunday.
Leandro Trossard had given Arsenal the lead, but a lack of concentration in dealing with a long diagonal ball in the first few minutes of the second period saw Everton winger Jack Harrison go to ground under the challenge of Lewis-Skelly.
It was not unlike an incident earlier this season at Goodison Park when Everton had a spot-kick against Manchester United overturned because VAR Matt Donohue felt Ashley Young had gone to ground too easily.
"For me, it is never a penalty," Arteta told TNT Sports without elaborating. "I'm very unhappy with the result. It is a very tough place to come, very physical and direct if you don't deal with (that) well, you never get any momentum.
"We went ahead to find more control and generate more chances. But the start of the second half was very poor, we gave the ball away and had indecision over what to do."
Arteta rued several missed chances in the second period, but Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also made several outstanding saves.
"We had some big chances and did not finish them well apart from the goal. They (Everton) did not generate anything at all apart from the penalty."
It is an 11th draw of the season for Arsenal, with only Everton involved in more with their 14.
"You have to win many more games (to be champions), especially when there is a team (Liverpool) that is constantly winning," Arteta admitted.
There will be little time to dwell on the result as Arsenal host Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.
"We managed to give minutes to certain players and rested others (ahead of Tuesday), but we wanted the three points," Arteta said.
