Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Danny Welbeck should have given Sydney FC the ball back rather than try to score a penalty in their pre-season match at ANZ Stadium.
The Gunners won 2-0 against the A-League champions, Per Mertesacker’s early strike and a late goal from debutant Alexandre Lacazette proving decisive.
In between the two goals, Arsenal were awarded a controversial second-half penalty when Sebastian Ryall threw himself in the way to block with his back, only for the referee to point to the spot for handball.
As it happened, Welbeck missed the spot-kick, but Wenger felt the striker was wrong to try and score given it had been wrongly awarded.
“We made a mistake, we should have given them the ball back,” Wenger told reporters after the match.
“It’s always difficult to know how to behave. I think we should have just rolled the ball back because, I don’t know if Danny Welbeck saw it on video, but on video it was obvious it was not a penalty.
“I haven’t spoken to him yet. I think Per went to tell him to give the ball back. I don’t know what happened.”
It only took 15 minutes – @LacazetteAlex has his first goal for @Arsenal
Watch the last few minutes https://t.co/W8t9lelbgp pic.twitter.com/Qy0iuaybe2
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 13, 2017
