Arsenal fans outraged by unbelievable referee decision

The game between Sunderland and Arsenal sparked debate after Arsenal’s Mikel Merino sustained a head injury from a risky collision with Daniel Ballard, but the referee neither gave a card nor a penalty to the away team.

Just in the 7th minute at the Stadium of Light, when Arsenal were mounting an attack, Mikel Merino, who was pushed forward to play striker by coach Mikel Arteta due to Viktor Gyokeres’ injury, was forcefully elbowed in the head by Ballard during an aerial duel. The violent foul caused the Spanish international to collapse, clutching his face in pain amid the concern of his teammates.

Referee Craig Pawson immediately stopped the match to allow medical staff onto the pitch. Arsenal’s doctors conducted concussion protocol checks to ensure Merino was fit to continue. After a few minutes of treatment, he was fortunately confirmed not seriously injured and able to return. However, the decision not to award a penalty or show Ballard a red card ignited outrage both in the stadium and across social media.

Many Arsenal supporters expressed their anger. One user on X (Twitter) wrote: “An elbow to the face and no penalty?”.

Another account sarcastically commented: “No punishment for an elbow inside the box? Unbelievable!”.

Some even said Ballard’s action was a “deliberate foul to stop a clear goal” and deserved a sending off.

The anger intensified when Ballard, a former Arsenal player, scored the opening goal for Sunderland in the 36th minute. This scene left Arsenal fans bitter, seeing it as a “slap in the face” from the referee and evidence of the controversial decisions they have suffered this season.

On social media, many fans called for the Premier League to review refereeing and VAR regulations. One frustrated fan wrote: “An elbow to the face is clearer than many handball calls that get penalized. Rules need to change, especially regarding deliberate fouls”.

Despite the setback, Arsenal controlled most of the game and created several dangerous chances. Merino, despite his headache, played with great effort until being substituted near the end. The Spanish midfielder has been one of Arsenal’s bright spots this season, with 15 appearances and 3 goals, including a Champions League brace last week against Slavia Prague.

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