Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expressed frustration over a controversial penalty decision that contributed to Manchester United's 2-0 defeat against Arsenal on March 11, 2019. The manager argued that referee Jonathan Moss's ruling on a challenge by United midfielder Fred on Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette was unjustified.
The incident occurred in the 69th minute, with Lacazette falling after minimal contact from Fred. Solskjaer stated the decision was a critical turning point, allowing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score the second goal and secure the victory for Arsenal.
"The referee will be disappointed when he reviews the footage," Solskjaer said. "I don't believe it was a penalty." He also defended goalkeeper David de Gea, acknowledging the difficulty of stopping Granit Xhaka's long-range goal that opened the scoring.
The loss ended United's 16-match unbeaten domestic run and snapped their nine-game away winning streak. Solskjaer attributed part of the team's sluggish performance to fatigue following their Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week.
Arsenal's win moved them above United in the Premier League table, positioning them fourth with a two-point lead. Manager Unai Emery praised his team's resilience, stating the result demonstrated their ability to compete with top-tier opponents.
