Jamie Carragher believes Mikel Arteta is beginning to resemble legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the way he publicly challenges refereeing decisions and uses his growing influence within the Premier League.
The comparison came after Arteta strongly criticised the penalty awarded against Arsenal during their 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Despite his side maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season, the Arsenal manager was furious with referee John Brooks’ decision to penalise Ezri Konsa for a challenge on Dan Ballard.
Sunderland were given the opportunity to score from the spot during the second half, but Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya produced an important save to deny Enzo Le Fée. Arsenal then went on to secure the victory through goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka.
Arteta described the penalty decision as “unacceptable” and questioned why VAR had not intervened. Arsenal have since sought an explanation from refereeing body Pro Ref over the incident, with the club reportedly wanting greater clarity over how similar decisions will be handled in the future.
Carragher believes Arteta’s reaction was about more than simply expressing frustration after one controversial call.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, the former Liverpool defender compared Arteta’s approach to Ferguson, who was famous for publicly putting pressure on referees during Manchester United’s most successful years.
Carragher suggested Arteta now has enough authority within English football to influence the wider conversation around major decisions. Arsenal entered the season as defending Premier League champions, and Arteta has been in charge for several years, giving him a powerful position compared with many newer managers around the league.
According to Carragher, Arteta appeared determined to ensure the controversial penalty remained a major talking point despite Arsenal winning the game. He noted that the manager repeatedly returned to the decision during his post match press conference, regardless of the questions being asked.
Carragher believes this could be a deliberate attempt to influence how referees approach similar incidents involving Arsenal in future matches.
The comparison with Ferguson is particularly significant. During his long and hugely successful spell at Manchester United, Ferguson became known for defending his players and publicly questioning decisions he believed had gone against his team. His comments often dominated the media conversation and increased scrutiny on officials ahead of future matches.
Carragher suggested Arteta is beginning to develop a similar level of influence.
Former Premier League manager Rob Edwards, appearing alongside Carragher, agreed that Arteta’s status has changed significantly. As the manager of the reigning champions, his comments now carry greater weight, particularly when discussing refereeing standards and decisions that could potentially influence the title race.
The Sunderland penalty itself remains open to debate. Replays showed contact between Konsa and Ballard, but there were questions over which player initiated the physical battle. VAR decided there was not enough evidence to overturn Brooks’ original decision, while some former officials have argued the call fell within the referee’s subjective judgement.
Arteta, however, clearly believes the decision was wrong and has stressed that calls of this nature could prove decisive over the course of a Premier League season.
Despite the controversy, Arsenal left Sunderland with another important victory and continued their excellent start to the campaign. Raya’s penalty save was a key moment, while Arsenal again demonstrated their ability to manage difficult away matches and find a way to win.
Carragher’s comments therefore highlight another element of Arsenal’s development under Arteta. The Spaniard is no longer simply trying to build a team capable of challenging for major honours. As a Premier League winning manager, he now possesses the authority and confidence to publicly challenge decisions he believes could harm his club.
Whether Arteta can ultimately develop the same level of influence Ferguson once held remains to be seen. But Carragher believes the Arsenal boss is already showing signs of using his position in a very similar way.
For Arsenal, the immediate focus will remain on maintaining their strong start to the season. Yet Arteta’s reaction at Sunderland suggests he is also prepared to fight battles away from the pitch when he believes his team has been treated unfairly.
