Is Mikel Arteta the new Sir Alex Ferguson? Jamie Carragher makes Man Utd comparison after Arsenal boss’s furious referee rant

The Gunners claimed a 2-0 victory at the Stadium of Light, but the match was overshadowed by a controversial first-half incident. With the game still goalless, referee Stuart Attwell awarded a penalty to Sunderland after Ezri Konsa was penalised for grappling with Dan Ballard inside the box.

VAR reviewed the corner-kick clash and upheld Attwell's on-field decision. Despite Arsenal eventually securing all three points, Arteta delivered a scathing post-match assessment of the officiating, branding the penalty call "unacceptable".

Following the Arsenal manager's fierce press conference, Jamie Carragher drew parallels between the Spaniard and two of the Premier League's most iconic figures. Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, the former Liverpool defender suggested Arteta is now flexing his managerial muscle to influence referees.

"This was Mikel Arteta becoming the Sir Alex Ferguson of the Premier League right now," Carragher stated. "He's the don at the moment; he's the Premier League champion. A lot of new managers about... he's been in his role for six or seven years, and he feels he's in a position of power to say, 'Yeah, it wasn't a penalty.' And I don't think it was a penalty."

Carragher noted that Arteta intentionally hijacked his media duties to make a wider point. "One of the journalists made a point about, no matter what question you asked him, he kept going back to the penalty, so he was determined to get the narrative out that this won't happen again to his club," the pundit added. "But that's a manager - we've seen it with Sir Alex Ferguson, we've seen it with Jose Mourinho."

Arteta's outburst forms part of a mounting frustration aimed at English football's refereeing body, Pro Ref. Reports indicate that Arsenal intend to escalate their grievances formally to demand answers over the Konsa incident. Carragher believes this public pressure is a calculated, long-term move, noting: "It'd be interesting to see how long it takes for another referee to give a penalty against Arsenal in a similar situation."

The controversy compounds a disastrous weekend for Premier League officials. Pro Ref recently confessed to a glaring error during Sunday's Manchester derby, admitting Enzo Fernandez was offside in the sequence leading to the decisive Erling Haaland's goal. Consequently, the VAR officials responsible for that fixture have been stood down for the upcoming round of matches.

Arteta must now quickly shift his squad's focus away from officiating disputes as they prepare for a busy domestic schedule. Arsenal host Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, offering a chance to rotate the team while keeping their winning momentum intact.

Following their cup exploits, the Gunners return to league action with a tricky away fixture against Brighton. Arteta will be determined to maintain his side's perfect start to the campaign and prove that off-field distractions will not derail their momentum.

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