GLOBAL WARMING, page-82

Over decadal periods natural variation is significant. So yes over a nine year period it is perfectly possible or likely that a new low might not be made even with a reducing trend. The reducing sea ice extent is obvious over longer periods.

What percentile of sea ice extent have those last nine years been relative to the period for which we have data? And the same question for the first 9 years. Chalk and cheese.

This is no different conceptually from the surface temperature "pause" after 1998, and we are much warmer than that now. You'll see the same thing play out with sea ice.