Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brighton after Joao Pedro converted a controversial penalty and Gunners star Thomas Partey has detailed the squad’s reaction to the result
Thomas Partey has revealed Arsenal were left “sad” after a controversial Joao Pedro penalty earned Brighton a 1-1 draw with the Gunners.
An early goal from Ethan Nwaneri put Arsenal ahead, but Brighton levelled from the penalty spot after William Saliba was penalised for catching Pedro with his head in the area as he attempted to win the ball.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was not happy with the penalty decision, telling Sky Sports after the game: “I’m disappointed because we wanted to win the game. We started the game with good actions and a good goal.
“We knew it was going to be a challenging game. We gave too many balls away in the second half and we’re very disappointed with the penalty. I’ve never seen that in my life – and Saliba touches the ball. [It wasn’t one] for me, no.”
And Partey has admitted Arsenal were “frustrated” after their winning run came to an end. The 31-year-old told club media : “We are sad, frustrated, everybody is down but that’s part of football.
“We wanted to win, we wanted to keep the momentum going and at the end of the day, we didn’t get it. But it’s also a positive one because we did not lose.
“We have to try our best and win these games because they’re the most important ones, but it’s not an easy game against a good side and to win here you have to be perfect. We need to forget (about Saturday) and keep on working hard to win our next game.”
Arsenal will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they host Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash on Tuesday and Partey is feeling confident ahead of the match. “I’m very excited, we have to prepare well,” he added.
“We know how difficult it is to play against them, the quality that they have, the players they have, we have to be ready for them. It’s going to be amazing; we know how big the supporters are and the big part they play in the games that we play, and we’ll need them for this game.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Learn more
