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“Grey’s Anatomy” and “One Tree Hill” actor Sophia Bush reveals in her new memoir, “And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes From a Life in Progress,” that she married former professional soccer player Ashlyn Harris in summer 2025.

The private ceremony took place in upstate New York with Harris’ children, Sloane and Ocean, attending, Bush and Harris revealed in a Vogue exclusive published Wednesday. The couple said they later made the rounds, visiting friends and family to divulge their secret nuptials.

Sophia Bush, in a 2025 episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” told Vogue she married Ashlyn Harris in a private ceremony with Harris’ children in attendance.

(Anne Marie Fox / Disney)

“We got to have personal experiences with everyone we love, and once we got through all of those, how do we put it out? Because I don’t want to keep sitting on panels or in interviews and being like, ‘My partner,’” Bush told Vogue over Zoom, then turning to Harris. “You’re not my partner, you know? You’re my wife. And it feels so amazing to say that.”

After Harris described her kids running around, picking flowers and generally having fun, stepmom Bush recalled the family roasting marshmallows on their wedding night: “It was so precious, and zero pressure. I will never forget it.”

The newlyweds also explained that, though they value privacy, optics are important for at least one very important reason.

“We understand how sacred and how pure our love is. But the visibility piece matters,” Harris said, “because there are still kids hiding who don’t feel seen, and if we make room and space for one person, that’s worth maybe costing us a little bit of peace in the public eye.”

“Dancing With the Stars” pro Witney Carson on Wednesday shut down rumors that she wants her celebrity pairing to be voted off the new season.

Following Week 3 of the competition — which bid farewell to Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart on Tuesday — the 32-year-old dancer took to social media to address suggestions that she wished to be voted off with her celebrity partner, Guillermo Rodriguez.

Since Season 35 of DWTS premiered Sept. 15, the two have been in the bottom three couples each week, but avoided elimination. Some online fans have interpreted her facial expressions as disappointment upon learning her pair was safe.

“[Being in the bottom three] doesn’t necessarily mean all those couples have the lowest votes, but it does mean that you don’t get to celebrate that you’re safe. You only get to hear who’s going home,” Carson explained in a TikTok video uploaded Tuesday night. “So my face, what you’re seeing, is genuinely sad for the people going home and then excitement.”

The professional ballroom dancer also slammed rumors that she was at all dissatisfied with her celebrity pairing alongside 55-year-old Rodriguez, the talk show sidekick to Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“I am truly so grateful to continue on in this competition week after week with Guillermo because he really deserves it. He is genuinely a kind person, he genuinely wants to get better, he never gives up,” Carson continued on TikTok. “Anytime I’m resting in rehearsals, he’s practicing… What you see on Tuesdays, that is his best…”

Last year, Carson took home the top prize alongside Australian conservationist Robert Irwin; in 2014, she took home her first Mirrorball Trophy alongside actor Alfonso Ribeiro, the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor who now co-hosts the show alongside dancer Julianne Hough.

Rodriguez too has become a crowd favorite, with various fans noting his improvement each week — including Kimmel, who last week on his talk show joked that his co-star has won the popular vote “more times than Donald Trump.”

Earlier this week, the pair wowed “DWTS” fans during “Yacht Rock Night” with a foxtrot performed to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song).” Rodriguez finished the routine with a funnyman stunt by revealing himself in a coconut bra and inked-belly with the words: “Dancing 4 the People.”

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson appear on “Dancing With the Stars” Season 35’s Yacht Rock Night.

(Eric McCandless / Disney)

“I think there’s a lot to say about someone who may not have the skills, but is willing to learn and put in the work. That’s an amazing thing and he deserves it,” Carson added.

Carson also used the social media video to tame buzz that she wants to go home because of her pregnancy, she said, “I’m doing all the things that my doctor has approved of, so you guys can rest easy.”

In August, the dancer made headlines when she revealed on “Good Morning America” that she would participate in this new season while pregnant, a scenario that the mother of two admitted was not on her “bingo card,” but that she would stick with it to see what her body was capable of.

“I know how far to push my body and the baby’s health has always been my number one priority,” Carson reiterated in her TikTok video. “So I have no reserve when it comes to speaking up about physically overdoing it.”

Pro wrestler PAC, whose real name was Benjamin Satterley, died Sunday at 40 less than 24 hours after competing in All Elite Wrestling’s “All Out” pay-per-view event, AEW announced.

“All Elite Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac,” AEW said in a statement. “A native of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Satterley began his wrestling career in 2004 and went on to perform for wrestling organizations all over the world, captivating fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability. Pac signed with All Elite Wrestling in 2019 and held multiple AEW Championships and competed in some of the most memorable matches in AEW history. Our condolences go out to Satterley’s family, friends and fans.”

AEW owner Tony Khan posted a message on X honoring Satterley.

“Benjamin Satterley defined excellence, as a beloved husband & friend to his many loved ones, + in his wrestling knowledge, skill, unprecedented athleticism, professionalism, consistency + dedication to the sport that he loved & traveled the world to pursue,” Khan’s statement read. “May Ben rest in peace.”

Satterley broke into pro wrestling in 2004 and made a name for himself in the U.S. as part of the Pro Wrestling Guerilla promotion in Los Angeles. He signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2012 and was given the name Adrian Neville, later shortened to just Neville. He became part of their NXT promotion and won its heavyweight title before he was promoted to the main roster. He won the NXT Championship while in developmental and later made it to the main roster in 2015, winning the WWE cruiserweight title.

Considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, Satterley was was a relatively small 5 feet 8, 194 pounds and was not given a push relative to his ability in WWE. He left the promotion in 2018 and later joined AEW, where he changed his name to PAC and won the International title and the Trios title.

He was currently involved in a feud with Andrade El Idolo and challenged him for the national championship Saturday in Chicago, with El Idolo winning to retain the title.

When AEW launched in 2019, he was announced as one of the first signees, becoming the first All-Atlantic Champion and also won the Trios Championships. Since 2024, he had been a member of the Death Riders group.

Melissa Nathan, the crisis management public relations pro hired by actor-director Justin Baldoni amid his lengthy legal feud with actor Blake Lively, is in the hot seat after Baldoni’s former publicist claimed that Nathan played a key role in operating a network of anonymous “smear” websites.

The publicist, Stephanie Jones, filed an initial complaint in New York Supreme Court in December 2024, accusing Baldoni’s crisis PR team of waging a coordinated effort to undermine her and deflect blame for what she called a retaliatory smear campaign targeting Lively.

But new documents filed last week brought front and center a “key question from the outset of this case”: Who was behind the creation of anonymous websites that popped up in May 2024 and accused Jones of “holding clients hostage” and leaking their secrets?

Nathan did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Friday. But in a deposition, she said she was absolutely not the mastermind behind the now-defunct stephaniejonesleaks.com.

In the recent filing, Jones claims she repeatedly sought communications that could support her suspicions about the website’s origin, and last week received documents from Katherine Case, a former employee of Jones’ PR firm, Jonesworks, who subsequently worked for Nathan’s crisis management firm, the Agency Group.

Those documents, the filing alleges, show Nathan repeatedly testified falsely about the websites, and confirm that “Melissa Nathan was directly involved in a scheme to utilize untraceable websites to destroy the reputation of her competitors and those adverse to her clients. Stephanie Jones and Jonesworks were among her victims.”

In alleged text messages between Nathan and Case included in court documents, Nathan appears to have offered Case “three or four grand” to make the website copy tarnishing Jones’ reputation “a lot more meaty” — “good enough for us to be able to point a journalist towards.”

Nathan also appears to direct Case to discuss “holding clients hostage” and detail how people are “scared of” Jones, the documents allege.

Nathan is alleged to have instructed Case to write copy that would “follow along the lines of a purported ‘whistleblower’ narrative.” In Case’s notes from a subsequent phone call, she allegedly wrote, “Copy for the website along the lines of — I can’t sit and watch this woman continue to do this, this is what she does … it’s now a time where I can speak my truth about what I saw there.”

The filing claims that a record from Zelle, a money-transferring service, shows a subsequent payment to Case in the amount of $4,000 from “Melissa E. Nathan.”

The websites weren’t a one-off, according to the filing. They were allegedly one of Nathan’s specialties, and a hot commodity among embattled celebrities.

Three months after the Jones website went live, Nathan allegedly texted “Pitch Perfect” star Rebel Wilson, who was involved in a dispute with producer Amanda Ghost over Wilson’s directorial debut, the 2024 musical “The Deb.”

“Nathan quoted Wilson $110,000 for an untraceable site with a satellite, ghost server, ghost hosting, full build, maintaining, and full algorithmic push across all platforms … for 3 months,” the filing alleges. “The next day Nathan texted Case, ‘Rebel wants a one of those sites.’ ”

STRICTLY Come Dancing fans raged at bosses over an “unfair pairing” after the celebrities and pro partners were revealed during the launch show’s twist.

The BBC show kicked off last night in spectacular style with the pairings being announced live on the dance floor.

In a complete overhaul, the 15 celebs were split into three groups of five and danced alongside multiple pros as their partners were revealed live in the studio.

While the celebs beamed as they finally found out who they’d be vying for the Glitterball Trophy with, some fans were not happy about one particular match.

Lauren Oakley, who has appeared on the show for four seasons, was paired with telly dog trainer Graeme Hall.

And fans are furious, slamming bosses for “doing Lauren dirty.”

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One fan wrote on X: “Oh Lauren. Dear dear Lauren has her work cut out with Graham. Unfair pairing in my opinion. Graham was exhausted after 3 minutes. Poor thing.”

“Lauren putting on a brave face knowing she’s the best dancer and she’s been set up again,” penned another fan.

A third fan said: “Awww I was so hoping Lauren would get a decent partner this year (sorry canine expert) she’s such an underrated pro.”

Meanwhile, a fourth fan added: “Think they may have done Lauren bad this year.”

In 2023, Lauren was paired with Krishnan Guru-Murthy and they came 8th place.

The following year Lauren and her partner JB Gill were runners-up.

Just last year she took to the dance floor with former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – they came 11th place.

Graeme, 59, Lauren’s partner this year, is best known for being the host of the hit Channel 5 programme Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly.

Strictly Come Dancing has finally confirmed which professional dancer each celebrity will be taking to the dancefloor each week, following weeks of speculation

It was all cha-cha changes at Strictly Come Dancing as the celebrity and pro dancer partnerships were finally revealed amid a big show shake-up.

The launch of the 24th series BBC juggernaut kicked off with a new presenting team – former Big Brother host Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdecombe and professional dancer Johannes Radebe – and announced who will be dancing with whom as the hotly-anticipated refreshed series finally began.

This year, though, there was a twist. While the celebrities often find out who their professional partner is ahead of the series, they actually found out while recording the launch episode. They each rehearsed with a dancer in the lead-up, but this didn’t mean they were paired with the professional for the rest of the series. Instead, they rotated partners throughout the day.

What do you think of the pairings? Let us know in the comments below by clicking here.

Dani Dyer said the twist had “thrown a spanner in the works” after she danced with Nikita Kuzmin during their training day, before the pros rotated once again.

EastEnders favourite Lacey Turner has former champ Vito Coppola as her teacher. Lacey said she felt “amazing” after being paired with Vito, and the Italian dancer added that he was “very, very happy” before saying he would cook for Lacey.

Dame Sarah Storey has been paired with Julian Caillon. She told Josh and Johannes that she was excited to be working with Julian. Meanwhile, returning star Dani Dyer, who had to leave the 2025 series early following an injury to her ankle before the live shows began, is back dancing with Nikita Kuzmin.

“I’m so happy, I can sleep now, I’m over the moon,” Dani said about making history. Nikita said he had “tears of joy” hearing the audience react to the news that he had been paired with Dani again. The reality star said she was hoping to make it to week one of the live shows after having to withdraw last year.

Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters has teamed up with show veteran Aljaž Škorjanec. “I’m absolutely thrilled, on the very first day when we had to dance with everyone, you put me in a practise hold, I said it’s like steering a tractor,” Melanie said of dancing with Aljaž. The dancer said that the twist was one of the “funnest” experiences on the dancefloor.

Actress Jaime Winstone has been partnered with Carlos Gu. Speaking of working with reigning champ Carlos, Jaime said: “I’m so excited, I feel like we match energies. I’m super ecstatic.”

Former Manchester City midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips is with American dancer Alexis Warr. Shaun said of wanting to excel on the show: “I like to enter things and be as good as possible, the pros are the margin, and that’s what I’m aiming for.” Alexis thinks that Shaun is already at a professional level.

House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia is part of this year’s same-sex pairing with Nancy Xu. The actress credited Nicola Adams and Katya Jones, who danced as a same-sex couple on the show, with playing a huge part in her coming-out journey. She said she was incredibly excited to follow and lead with a woman.

Reflecting on working with Nancy, Bethany said that the pair instantly bonded when they first met. Bethany later explained that she was a “perfectionist” and Nancy had been “amazing” at reassuring her. “My nanny’s name was Nancy, and she passed away at the start of the year,” Bethany said, adding that it was “special” to be dancing with the star.

Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker will be working with one of the show’s five newbies, Mark Karmalita. “I’m so happy, and I get to be your first partner on Strictly,” the Olympian told Mark.

She added: “That’s sort of amazing.” Mark said: “I’m going to try and be fun, caring and supportive,” he said of his teaching skills. The sports star went on to reveal she’s keen to learn the rumba – and score a perfect 40 for the dance!

Songstress Delta Goodrem is dancing with Kai Widdington. The singer said she was “honoured” to dance with “incredible dancer” Kai.

Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb and Jowita Pryzstal will dance together. Speaking of dancing with Jowita, Lawrence said that fans will have to “stand by” to see more excitement from him. “Now we’re into hard work mode, what a feeling, what a rush,” he joked. Jowita said she was “so nervous” before being paired with Lawrence.

Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser, Chris Appleton, is dancing alongside show legend Amy Dowden. Chris said he was overjoyed to dance with Amy. “Over excited, I’m that little kid that used to watch this show on a Saturday night,” he said. Amy, however, said that her hair would get bigger every week if Chris were her partner.

Love Island winner Cach Mercer with Maddie Ingoldsby. The reality star said he was “pleased” to have Maddie, adding that she was “strict but cheeky” and that she’s able to cut the “banter”.

But Maddie said she was a “little bit strict” depending on the day. Cach’s family have also vowed to provide honest feedback, which is making him “doubt himself even more”. “This is a whole different playing field,” he said.

Football interviewer and former air traffic controller John Nellis is partnered with Katya Jones. The pro star revealed that John “messed up” in the lead-up to being partnered with the social media star. John later explained that he had “worked out” that he was dancing with Katya.

The ‘Dogfather’ Graeme Hall has been partnered with Lauren Oakley. “Tonight, I got four tens getting you, I’ve always wanted Lauren,” he told his professional star. He explained that his pals told him he would be “really lucky” to get Lauren as a partner. And the dancer believes that Graeme is a “dark horse” and will put his “all” into the show. However, she will have to “put a lead on him.”

Big Brother and Hits Radio presenter Will Best is dancing alongside show regular Dianne Buswell. Speaking about getting Dianne as a partner, Will said that when he “gets down it’s difficult to get back up again”.

He added: “I’m already a winner, I feel like a champion already just getting her. We’ve been having so much fun training. We finish each other’s sentences.” Dianne added that they were the “perfect pairing”.

Ahead of the first episode, Emma Willis revealed her nerves over the new show starting. Speaking on her BBC Radio 2 show, she said: “It feels like a very long lead-up to this, but also very quick.”

Talking about being a part of the Strictly experience, Emma added: “It’s very strange having that peek behind the curtain – I mean this in a positive way – it’s a beast of a show. It’s just fantastic. It is so exciting, me and Josh and Jojo are looking forward to it so much…

“I’m excited but nervous. I’m going to turn my phone off and disappear for a few days.” Joining her on the radio show – her last for a while as Ellie Taylor will be manning the fort until Strictly is finished – was one of the show’s judges Anton Du Beke. He told her: “I love it as much now as I did when I first walked in.

“It’s only Craig [Revel Horwood] and I left from the very first show – and that fills me with great pride.” Speaking about the five new professional dancers, Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark, he said: “What I love though, there’s no place I’d rather be is in the rehearsal studio with dancers, it’s the most brilliant place.

“These five are as giddy – they can’t believe their fortune.” Giving his verdict on the celebrity line-up, Anton and Emma were discussing British cycler and swimmer Dame Sarah Storey, before he began pitching for his own knighthood.

“Love it when we have a Dame or a Sir,” Anton said. “We don’t have enough of them – we need more of them. If they make me a Sir, then we can just cover that base every year, straight away. I’ve been around long enough to be a Sir. Surely a knighthood should come my way at some stage? Can we start a petition?”

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VISITING one of Portugal’s top golfing regions without an ounce of experience of the game was certainly a nerve-racking move.  

But I needn’t have worried. 

The Algarve is so much more than a golfer’s paradise — but it’s also the perfect place to learn.  

With a nature park that’s home to a 37-mile lagoon and salt marshes frequented by flamingos, otters and Mediterranean chameleons — plus breathtaking island beaches reminiscent of the Caribbean — this beauty spot is a haven for anyone seeking R&R. 

I was staying at the 4H Magnolia Hotel in Quinta do Lago, a lavish complex tucked away within the Ria Formosa Nature Park that features four hotels and a private villa estate spread across 2,000 acres. 

While the complex may be luxury, the price tag needn’t be. The Magnolia, one of the entry-level hotels, is affordable yet stylish and oozes retro glamour with its Palm Springs theme.  

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Is this village the most autumnal English destination EVER?

A bright pink, neon ‘Welcome’ sign sits above the entrance, which is flanked by two cactus plants. Outside you’ll find a pool around which palm trees and stripey yellow sun loungers are dotted. Inside, the rooms are light, airy and unfussy.  

Staying here means you’ll also get access to the same shared facilities as the fancier hotels within Quinta do Lago, like the 5H Conrad.

This includes a gigantic lake with an inflatable obstacle course and watersports galore, plus a beach boardwalk that leads you straight down to the turquoise sea.

While golf is far from the only activity available to guests, the three championship courses are undoubtedly a big selling point to many.  

The legendary South Course has hosted the Portuguese Open eight times and each of the pristine fairways is backed by wildflowers and umbrella pines — pretty hard to resist. 

So it wasn’t long until I found myself at the driving range, picking up a club for the first time.  

Confronted with pyramids of perfectly-stacked golf balls, I wondered how many I would get through before I made a decent shot.  

But a beginner’s lesson from coach Callum had me swinging like a pro in no time, with simple drills and explanations that I could take away with me.  

If golf isn’t your sport, though, you can also try your hand at tennis, cycling, padel and Pilates. 

Many of these activities are at The Campus, which looks more like a glam beach club.  

It has a flawless football pitch on one side, and a patchwork of blue and orange sports courts on another.  

These grounds have been run on by elite athletes, including Chelsea and Everton footballers, during warm weather training camps, so you can be sure that the facilities here are top-notch. 

But despite its championship status and the reel of famous faces that have visited, I soon came to understand that Quinta do Lago is a place to relax and try new things, not one where you’re expected to step up to the plate and perform. 

If your aching muscles need soothing, then head to the wellness centre, which offers a sauna, steam room and plunge pool.  

There’s also Dano’s Sports Bar, a chillout spot where you can order wings and beers then sink back into a beanbag to catch a game on the big screen. 

I fuelled up on Caesar salad and bites of pizza before trying my hand at padel, which is basically tennis’s cooler, younger sibling. It’s a lot less strenuous and makes for easy rallies — ideal for beginners. 

My days at Quinta soon fell into a relaxed routine: wake up, spend the morning and afternoon trying new sports, go for a dip, then relax with dinner and cocktails. 

To fuel the body for all that sport, guests can pick from 14 dining spots spread across the resort and available to all guests. 

For an unbeatable breakfast, Pure backs on to the eighth hole of the North Golf Course and serves up freshly-squeezed juice and protein pancakes on a sun terrace shaded by pines.  

For lunch by the lake, stroll over to The Shack, where you can grab bites such as burgers and crispy fish tacos.  

And for a classy evening meal, I recommend Casa do Lago or Bovino — the former offers delicious fish from local markets, while the latter serves up juicy steaks and bold Portuguese red wines to match. 

Looking for the perfect way to end your night? Follow the boardwalk to its end to find Gigi’s, a cocktail bar that will happily shake up anything you like, and enjoy views of birds dipping down into the marshland. 

I left Quinta do Lago with not just a golden tan, but some muscle definition that I hadn’t seen in a while (a pleasant change from the usual extra holiday pounds) and a newfound love for golf — if you can’t beat them, join them. 

Holidays here feel like a health retreat that is actually fun and the exercise feels easy. There’s zero pressure to be perfect.  

Whether you want to spend your days down at the driving range, sipping cocktails by the beach or trying to master the splits in Pilates, this Portuguese playground is the place to do so.  

Who knew breaking a sweat could feel so incredibly glamorous?  

Howard Webb says the referees’ body is disappointed with the decision to allow Haaland’s goal against Manchester United.

Pro Ref chief Howard Webb said “tunnel vision” led video assistant referee (VAR) officials to wrongly award Erling Haaland’s goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

Haaland’s second-half strike was initially ruled out for offside before being allowed to stand following a VAR review that concluded the Manchester City forward was onside.

Pro Ref, the body responsible for refereeing in English professional football, later acknowledged the goal should not have been awarded because VAR failed to properly assess the involvement of teammate Enzo Fernandez, who attempted to play the ball from an offside position.

“I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are. None more so than the officials themselves,” Webb, Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer, said on Match Officials Mic’d Up on Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

“They take a lot of personal pride in what they do, and they’re obviously hurting now having fallen short in this situation.”

VAR is a refereeing support tool designed to enable the checking, reviewing and correction of clear and obvious errors during a match, according to FIFA. It was intended to be a combination of human expertise and technological accuracy, but has instead become a sour topic in football circles.

Current and former United players, including club legend Wayne Rooney, labelled the use of VAR “horrendous”, while football experts told Al Jazeera the technology has become “far too dominant” in decision-making.

Webb confirmed that VAR officials Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus would not officiate again until after the international break.

“We’ve reached out to Manchester United and acknowledged the error, as we do when these things happen,” Webb said.

Explaining the decision-making process, Webb said the semi-automated offside system quickly established that Haaland was onside, but the VAR became overly focused on the striker’s position and failed to fully consider Fernandez’s influence on the play.

“But of course, when he then runs it back through the full APP, he doesn’t truly evaluate the full impact of Fernandez’s position,” Webb said.

“He has a look to see if he touches the ball, because then that relates to potentially knocking it to Haaland, who goes on to score. He doesn’t touch the ball, but he doesn’t truly evaluate other elements of offside. In that moment, he gets tunnel vision.”

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick criticised the decision after his side’s 1-0 home defeat, their second loss in four Premier League matches this season.

United next host Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday before travelling to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arsenal will contact refereeing body Pro Ref over the incident in which Ezri Konsa conceded a penalty in Saturday’s win over Sunderland.

Konsa and Black Cats defender Dan Ballard were involved in a physical exchange inside the penalty area in which the Arsenal defender was adjudged to have fouled the Sunderland player for excessive holding.

After the game Gunners manager Mikel Arteta criticised the decision, and it is understood the Premier League champions will hold talks with the professional referee’s body for an explanation as to why the penalty was awarded.

It is understood Arsenal are keen to avoid major refereeing decisions impacting on results and want clarity over how referee John Brooks came to his decision.

Brooks initially awarded Sunderland the spot-kick on the field, and the decision was backed up by the video assistant referee (VAR).

“The referee’s call of penalty to Sunderland for a holding offence by Konsa on Ballard was checked and confirmed by VAR,” read a statement published by the Premier League Match Centre.

But after the game Arteta said: “This is not acceptable at this level.

“I watched it 20 times and I cannot find a way to understand how they think to give a penalty in that situation, or the way the VAR has to intervene.

“So I don’t know what to think. I’m sad that we have to discuss this after such a beautiful game, that at this level has the gravity of that. Because that changes the course of the season and it can cost you the championship.

“At this level, with all the work we put in, this cannot happen.”

Match of the Day pundits Ashley Williams and Thomas Frank both said Sunderland should not have been awarded a penalty, claiming that Arsenal should have had a free-kick.

“I think he’s got it completely wrong,” said Williams. “It’s almost like a perfect hip toss in judo [from Ballard]. In no way is it a penalty.”