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Mikel Arteta may soon be running out of storage space.
Arsenal's detail-driven manager recently disclosed that he maintains a "massive storage of images" packed with evidence highlighting what he sees as persistent hypocrisy and injustice directed at himself and the club. From tracking how often managers wander outside their technical areas to, as he noted following last week's victory over Liverpool, collecting "a lot of clips about shirt pulls and grabs."
Speaking in the Anfield press room, Arteta was defending Jurriën Timber's obvious tug on Alexander Isak's shirt that inexplicably went unpunished with a penalty. The underlying point was that Arsenal have endured similar treatment repeatedly. The Basque manager was proven right within days.
In a complete role reversal, it was Arsenal striker Kai Havertz who found himself dragged down by Hull City's Nobel Mendy at the Emirates on Saturday. Once again, the referee made no immediate call as play continued for several minutes.
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Eventually, referee Farai Hallam brought proceedings to a sudden stop after a promising Hull attacking move. A puzzled crowd of 60,000 watched the official consult the touchline monitor before silence fell as he reached for the microphone.
"After review, there is a holding offense by Blue No. 32 on Red No. 29," Hallam announced to loud cheers. The celebration was short-lived. "However, Red No. 29 is in an offside position, so the final decision will be a free kick for offside to Hull City."
This peculiar twist left many in the stadium baffled, viewing it as an unnecessary disruption. Havertz had led a frustrated appeal that wasn't fully backed by his teammates, who were more focused on dealing with a Hull counterattack. Yet the laws of the game reveal just how significant—and mistaken—that intervention was in a match Arsenal won by the narrowest of margins.
Why Arsenal Should Have Won a Penalty Against Hull
Law 11 of the FA Handbook is unambiguous: "In situations where ... a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalized as it has occurred before the offside offense."
The fact that Havertz had drifted beyond Hull's last defender was beside the point. Since the run took place "before playing or attempting to play the ball," he was not technically offside at that moment. Mendy's foul should therefore have taken priority.
"This should really have been given as a penalty kick," said Darren Cann, the former World Cup final assistant referee, speaking to BBC's Match of the Day.
Fortunately for the match officials, Martin Ødegaard secured all three points for Arsenal with a poached goal in the 72nd minute.
Mikel Arteta Offers Uncharacteristic Response to Referee Injustice
Rather than lashing out at the officials, Arteta expressed only mild surprise at the incorrect call—largely because he wasn't entirely certain it was wrong.
"I was surprised because when they sent the referee to the monitor, I was being told it was a clear penalty for a pull," the Arsenal manager admitted following his side's 1–0 victory. "They decided not to give it because of the starting position of Kai—he was offside—so I'm not sure what the interpretation is, I'm sure they will make it clear to understand."
Arteta's measured response appeared to stem from genuine confusion. "I don't know," the former midfielder said when pressed on whether the decision was correct. "I need to understand the decision, what is overruling and in terms of the decision-making."
Perhaps once he fully grasps how wrong the call was, his reaction will be rather different.