Arsenal will contact refereeing body Pro Ref regarding the penalty awarded to Sunderland in Saturday's win, following Ezri Konsa's foul on Dan Ballard inside the box. The decision, initially made by referee John Brooks and upheld by VAR, was criticised by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who called it "not acceptable at this level" after reviewing the incident multiple times. Arteta expressed concern that such calls could impact the title race, stating they "can cost you the championship." Match of the Day pundits Ashley Williams and Thomas Frank also disagreed with the penalty, suggesting Arsenal should have received a free-kick instead, with Williams describing the challenge as a "perfect hip toss in judo" and not a foul.

Arsenal aims to gain clarity on how the referee and VAR arrived at the decision to prevent future controversies affecting match outcomes.