Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce says Per Mertsacker's intervention of a Jermain Defoe shot toward goal in Sunday's 0-0 draw "a definite penalty."
Allardyce was left ruing a missed chance for a crucial three points against Arsenal after seeing his team's penalty appeals waved off after Mertesacker blocked a shot from Defoe with his hand in the first half.
"I thought we should have had a definite penalty from Defoe when Mertesacker turns his back with his arms up in the air," Allardyce said.
"He's turned his back on the ball and his arm is outstretched and stopped what is a certain goal I think. For me that is all day long a penalty. You want those things to go for your when you're in our position, it hasn't today."
Arsenal had a less-convincing appeal when a shot hit DeAndre Yedlin's arm at the other end, but Wenger said referee Mike Dean was right to wave that off as well.
"For me none of them was a penalty, because it was not deliberate handball," manager Arsene Wenger said. "The guy is close to the guy who takes the shot. I'm against this kind of penalty, it's a bit too easy."
Allardyce, however, was happy enough with a point which leaves the club's fate in their own hands.
He said: "Our destiny is in our own hands now for the first time in many months with four games to go, so we have got to take full control of that starting at Stoke next week.
"When we finish at Stoke, we have got to make sure we are out of the bottom three."
Allardyce was particularly pleased with another clean sheet, Sunderland's third in four games.
Asked what was behind that improved run, he said with a smile: "My brilliant coaching," before adding: "You could say before that it was crap, though."
PA Sport contributed to this report.