Jamie Carragher has drawn a striking comparison between Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, saying Arteta is "becoming the Sir Alex Ferguson of the Premier League right now" following his furious public criticism of a penalty awarded against his side.
The flashpoint came during Arsenal's 2-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday, when referee John Brooks awarded a second-half penalty after defender Ezri Konsa was adjudged to have brought down Dan Ballard. The spot kick was ultimately saved, but Arteta was incensed, branding the decision "unacceptable" in his post-match press conference.
Arsenal have since formally requested an explanation from refereeing body Pro Ref over the call.
The Ferguson comparison
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher argued that Arteta — having led Arsenal to the Premier League title last season — now commands the kind of authority that Ferguson once wielded when it came to publicly pressuring officials.
"He's the don at the moment; he's the Premier League champion. A lot of new managers about; he's been in his role for six or seven years, and he feels he's in a position of power to say, 'Yeah, it wasn't a penalty', and I don't think it was a penalty."
Carragher also noted that Arteta's determination in the press conference was deliberate and calculated. "One of the journalists made a point that no matter what question you asked him, he kept going back to the penalty," Carragher said. "He was determined to get the narrative out that this won't happen again to his club."
The Liverpool legend added that such behaviour has clear precedent: "We've seen it with Sir Alex Ferguson, we've seen it with Jose Mourinho."
Edwards backs Carragher's view
Former Luton, Middlesbrough, and Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Rob Edwards, who appeared as a special guest on Monday Night Football, agreed with Carragher's assessment.
"I think Jamie's right. He's put himself into a position now where he's looking after his team and his football club, and people will listen to the Premier League-winning manager, won't they? He's a powerful voice there now."
Notably, Arsenal did not concede a single penalty throughout their title-winning campaign last season. Carragher suggested it will be worth watching how quickly another referee opts to award a penalty against them in a similar situation going forward.
