According to a report by Evening Standard on Wednesday November 4, 2026, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hit back at criticism surrounding his side's controversial 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, insisting that he has a "massive library" of similar incidents involving shirt-pulling and grabbing that have gone unpunished.

The Gunners secured their first win at Anfield since 2012 on Sunday, with the result moving them three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

However, the victory was overshadowed by a controversial first-half incident involving Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber and Liverpool striker Alexander Isak.

Timber appeared to pull Isak's shirt inside the penalty area as the Swedish forward attempted to get on the end of a cross.

Liverpool were furious that referee Andy Madley did not award a penalty, while manager Andoni Iraola criticised the decision after the match.

Iraola even suggested that he would encourage his players to go to ground in similar situations in the future, arguing that Isak's decision to remain on his feet may have influenced the officials.

Arteta had initially indicated that he had not watched replays of the incident immediately after the game. However, speaking ahead of Arsenal's Champions League meeting with Slavia Prague, the Spaniard dismissed suggestions that his team were fortunate to escape punishment.

"I have a lot of clips about shirts, pulls, grabs," Arteta said.

"I have a massive library that we can talk about. We're talking about one in particular, I have a massive library that we can throw there to remind everybody what every team is going through."

The Arsenal manager's response suggests that he believes similar incidents have affected other clubs and that the discussion should not focus exclusively on the decision involving Timber and Isak.

Arteta also referred to his previous complaints about the consistency of refereeing decisions involving managers

The Spaniard has received two yellow cards this season for leaving his technical area during matches against Sunderland and Leeds. Another booking would result in a touchline ban.

Last month, he claimed that other managers had repeatedly stepped outside their technical areas without receiving similar punishment.

"There are managers who have the record in the league, 36 times in 10 minutes [they] leave the touchline - no yellows," Arteta said.

He added that he had been collecting footage of such incidents so he could highlight what he considers inconsistencies in the way disciplinary rules are applied.

Despite the controversy, Arsenal will be pleased with their important victory at Anfield. Kai Havertz's first-half goal proved decisive as Arteta's side ended a 14-year wait for a Premier League win at the ground

The result strengthened their position in the title race, although the debate surrounding Timber's challenge on Isak is likely to continue.