EPL legend compares Mikel Arteta to Sir Alex Ferguson after Sunderland ref outburst

Arteta was unhappy despite Arsenal claiming a 2-0 win at the Stadium of Light, with the biggest source of his frustration coming from a penalty awarded to Sunderland while the match was still goalless.

Referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot after Ezri Konsa was penalised for grappling with Dan Ballard during a corner. The decision was subsequently reviewed by VAR and allowed to stand, although the Sunderland penalty was ultimately saved.

Arteta labelled the decision "unacceptable" after the match and repeatedly returned to the incident during his post-match media duties.

That approach prompted Carragher to compare the Arsenal boss with Ferguson, who regularly applied public pressure to officials during his hugely successful spell in charge of Manchester United.

"This was Mikel Arteta becoming the Sir Alex Ferguson of the Premier League right now," Carragher said on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

"He's the don at the moment; he's the Premier League champion."

Carragher believes Arteta's status after several years in the Arsenal job has given him the confidence to challenge refereeing decisions publicly.

"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," he added.

The former Liverpool defender also suggested Arteta was deliberately using his press conference to ensure the penalty controversy remained in the spotlight.

"He was determined to get the narrative out that this won't happen again to his club," Carragher said.

"That's a manager - we've seen it with Sir Alex Ferguson, we've seen it with Jose Mourinho."

Carragher also questioned how long it might be before Arsenal are awarded another penalty in a similar situation, given the attention Arteta has brought to the issue.

The controversy is also set to extend beyond the media, with reports indicating that Arsenal intend to raise the matter formally with Pro Ref, the body responsible for refereeing in English football.

The incident came during a difficult weekend for officials, with Pro Ref also admitting an error in the Manchester derby.

The organisation acknowledged that Enzo Fernandez was offside in the build-up to Erling Haaland's decisive goal, with the VAR officials involved subsequently stood down for the next Premier League round.