Sean Dyche makes ‘cancel football’ claim as he hits back at Mikel Arteta after Arsenal v Nott’m Forest

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Sean Dyche and Mikel Arteta were on different sides of the fence as Arsenal drew 0-0 with Nottingham Forest.

Both managers looked on as Forest and Arsenal battled it out and ultimately, it was decided by poor finishing from the Gunners and a major penalty call.

Michael Oliver decided not to give a penalty for what looked like a handball from Ola Aina.

At full-time, Mikel Arteta labelled it a ‘clear penalty’ and lamented the officials for not awarding his team the spot kick.

However, in typical fashion, Sean Dyche had his own take on proceedings.

Sean Dyche’s response to Mikel Arteta’s handball claim

As expected, Dyche was very animated in his post-match interviews and the penalty call was always going to be a talking point.

Indeed, after telling TNT Sport that we should ‘cancel football’ if the decision was given, Dyche then expanded further in comments to the BBC.

“You’ve got to be careful with handballs. Nothing about Mikel [Arteta’s] words, I just think if that is given you’ve got to start looking at the game. That can’t be given for that. There’s no intention there, he has got a nudge in the back from our own player. It hits him on the arm,” Dyche commented.

“I would be very, very disappointed if that was given and I would be unbelievably delighted if that was given for us. I just think there is such a big noise about handballs. We were unlucky not to get one ourselves.

“That one with Callum Hudson-Odoi driving into the box has got a chance as well. You can look at that one either way.”

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What Mikel Arteta said about Arsenal’s penalty decision

Penalty decisions can make or break seasons and this one, if Arsenal do end up giving up the league, will be talked about for a while.

However, it was hard to judge it in the moment and Dyche does have a point.

As for what he was responding to, well, Mikel Arteta was just as direct with his own opinion.

“It’s a clear intention to keep the ball inside. So, it’s a clear penalty,” he said in his post-match interview.

“I don’t understand why it has not been given.”

Still, it looks like Arteta is in a minority, with Mark Clattenburg telling Arsenal Insider that the officials got it right.

“Ola Aina does touch the ball with his arm after controlling it with his shoulder.

“Some people will argue that his arm makes a movement to the ball, but that movement was created by Elliot Anderson making contact with him. That contact in the back makes it look like his arm goes to the ball.

“I agree with the referee and VAR on this occasion of no penalty, and especially when the Premier League referees have a high threshold of awarding penalty kicks for handball.”