Three points secured on a gritty night away in Sunderland.

After what happened here last time out for Arsenal in November, Brian Brobbey’s injury-time equaliser halting a five-game winning run, many assumed Mikel Arteta would be chuffed afterwards.

It’s now five wins in a row and, just as crucially, a show of defiance in many ways. Bruno Guimaraes’ stunning strike – including a cupped ear celebration to a club who detest him from his Newcastle days – and David Raya’s world-class save to deny Enzo Le Fee’s spot-kick both typified this.

Yet, Arteta strode into the post-match press conference with steam coming from his ears.

I opened proceedings, asking about John Brooks’ controversial decision to award the Black Cats a penalty on 54 minutes.

Ezri Konsa, who had a tough night at the hands of many wrestling jousts with Brobbey, was embroiled in another such battle – this time with Dan Ballard.

Both had hold of each other’s shirts in the area as the ball arrived, Ballard falling to the deck. Brooks’ call for a penalty was very soft, incorrect even, the pair each culpable for the holding.

Le Fee stepped up to take the resulting penalty, which Raya sprang at full stretch to tip onto the right-hand post.

The memory of that save went out of the window initially for Arteta, though, incensed over the decision.

‘(What) we have to go through today in my opinion is not acceptable,’ Arteta fumed.

‘I watched it 20 times, and I cannot find a way to understand how we even think to give a penalty.

'But I'm sad that we have to discuss in such a beautiful game something at this level that has the gravity to change the course of the season, and it can cost you the championship.

'It's a judo roll.’

It was Newcastle away all over again, that night in November 2023 springing to mind. On that occasion, Mikel Arteta described the decision to award Anthony Gordon’s winning goal against Arsenal as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘embarrassing’.

Again, walking into the room, the Spaniard was full of anger and you had a sense of the tirade he was about to unfurl.

Rewinding back to Arsenal’s last-gasp escape against West Ham at the end of last season, where the VAR overturned Callum Wilson’s equaliser, Arteta had said he now ‘realised how difficult and how big the referee’s job is’.

He had forgotten about this when it came to Brooks’ judgement. There was an element of Sir Alex Ferguson about his words. Winning wasn’t enough. He wants to make sure that the refereeing fraternity are aware that any major decisions which, in his eyes, go incorrectly against Arsenal will be called out.

A further line channelled his inner Ferguson.

‘I cannot find an explanation, honestly. That's why I'm going to try to find an explanation now,’ he said.

The Spaniard was right to be aggrieved over the decision, but needs to be careful. Such forthrightness could go against Arsenal if he is deemed to be putting undue pressure on referees.

On the other side, it also showed the wider mindset at Arsenal. Having tasted a first league title in 22 years, and experiencing such a tight finish last time round, Arteta and Arsenal are not leaving anything to chance.

They know how tight the margins are and want to get ahead of the curve. Making a point about refereeing decisions now is a psychological marker. That can have an effect in the months to come when a tight, game-changing call arises. Every point counts at this level.

On this decision, Arteta was right, Brooks’s call harsh because of the level of contact Ballard and Konsa had placed on each other.

Arsenal, though, do like to get physical in the area so need to be careful themselves going forward.

It remains to be seen what level of restraint Arteta can keep going forward, for he’s on a tightrope.