Brentford boss Thomas Frank was angry after Kai Havertz scored a late winner for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium after being fortunate not to be sent off.
Havertz, who received a yellow card in the first half, scored the winner four minutes from time – after escaping a second booking for a dive in the penalty area midway through the second half.
“It’s a dive. A clear dive. I wish he would just admit it,” Frank said at his post-match press conference.
“Of course it should have been a second yellow and a red card. Then he wouldn’t have been able to score the winner and we could have gained a bit more momentum to potentially win the game.”
Yoane Wissa’s equaliser deep into first-half stoppage time cancelled out Declan Rice’s first half header, but Havertz restored Arsenal’s lead.
The defeat leaves injury-hit Brentford in 15th in the table, five points clear of the relegation zone.
Their injury worries worsened when captain Christian Norgaard was taken off during the first half.
But Frank backed his players and declared he was proud of their efforts.
He said: “It’s tough. I feel even more for the players. They showed unbelievable mentality, effort and determination to come here to Arsenal, the in-form team in the division and almost deliver a defensive masterclass.
“We were missing seven players and our captain gets injured after 25 minutes and we still put an unbelievable shift in with the third or fourth worst budget in the league. I am so proud.”