Jamie Carragher: Mikel Arteta is becoming the Sir Alex Ferguson of the Premier League
Carragher said Arteta has become an authoritative figure in the Premier League after criticising a penalty in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory.
Jamie Carragher compared Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to Sir Alex Ferguson after Arteta publicly criticised a penalty decision that helped Arsenal beat Sunderland 2-0 on Saturday.
The penalty was awarded in the second half when referee John Brooks pointed to the spot for an alleged foul by Ezri Konsa on Den Ballard. David Raya saved the spot-kick and the Gunners went ahead shortly afterwards.
Carragher: Arteta has grown into an authority
Speaking after the game, Carragher said: "It was like Mikel Arteta is becoming the Sir Alex Ferguson of the Premier League. He is a big authority right now; he is a Premier League champion."
He added that Arteta's standing comes from time in the job: "There are a lot of new managers… he's been in the job six or seven years and feels strong enough to say, 'Yes, that wasn't a penalty.' And I don't think it was a penalty," Carragher continued.
Reflecting on possible future refereeing decisions, the former Liverpool defender warned: "But it will be interesting to see how long it takes before another referee awards a penalty against Arsenal in a similar situation," he added.
Photo: press material from the event
