Referee John Brooks paused briefly before awarding a penalty after Ballard and Konsa went down, and the VAR subsequently upheld the call.
Konsa appeared to commit an offence, although Ballard also seemed to be holding onto his opponent.
Arteta, who received a first-half booking for repeatedly stepping outside his technical area, said the incident should not have occurred and described the decision as deeply unfair and upsetting.
He said he was speaking openly because the issue affected the wider game rather than Arsenal alone, insisting such decisions should not happen at this level.
Arteta added that the call was unacceptable and said that, even after reviewing the incident numerous times, he could not understand why a penalty had been awarded.
Premier League officials have been directed this season to take firmer action against holding and wrestling at corners, an issue that attracted considerable attention during the previous campaign.
Former England midfielder Karen Carney said the updated approach was intended to eliminate grappling, adding that Konsa had his arms around Ballard and should have been watching the ball.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown acknowledged that Ballard was holding Konsa’s arm but said such actions still carried a risk.
Keown added that officials were determined to remove that kind of contact from the game, leaving little reason to dispute the decision.
Arteta was not the only person who challenged the penalty call.
Former Wales defender Ashley Williams argued that it was clearly not a penalty, saying Ballard pulled Konsa’s shoulder down and caused him to fall on top.
Williams compared the move to a well-executed judo throw, describing Ballard’s action as clever but maintaining that it did not justify a penalty.
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