- Arsenal missed the chance to win their first-ever European title after losing 4-3 on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final
- Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes failed to convert their spot-kicks, handing PSG a second consecutive Champions League crown
- The match was not without controversy, as former referee officials have weighed in on a key incident involving Noni Madueke
- Nigerian sports journalist Ahmed Fulani berated the referee for not consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
Arsenal were left frustrated after being denied what many believed was a clear penalty during extra time of the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, May 30.
The Gunners ultimately fell short in their bid to win a first-ever Champions League title, losing to the French champions in a dramatic penalty shootout in Budapest, Hungary.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal had taken the lead as early as the sixth minute when Kai Havertz capitalised on a loose ball after Leandro Trossard blocked an attempted clearance from Achraf Hakimi, per Al Jazeera.
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PSG levelled the contest in the second half through Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele, who converted from the penalty spot after Desire Doue was brought down inside the area.
Controversy struck during extra time when England international Noni Madueke beat Nuno Mendes on the edge of the box before going down inside the penalty area.
However, referee Daniel Siebert waved play on and did not award a penalty, while VAR also declined to intervene for an on-field review.
Why Arsenal didn’t get penalty for Noni Madueke foul
Former referee Graham Scott explained that the contact on Arsenal’s forward Noni Madueke did not meet the threshold for a penalty.
According to The Athletic, the 57-year-old said Daniel Siebert took the right decision despite pleas for a penalty from players as Declan Rice and Mikel Arteta were booked for their complaints. He said:
“It simply is not an obvious error. Arsenal could point to the referee’s relatively low tolerance of physical contact elsewhere on the pitch, which led to a succession of free kicks being awarded against them, especially in the second half.
“Fair enough. But like it or not, the threshold for penalising potential offences in the penalty area is much higher. I think that’s only right, given the sanction.”
Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Nigerian sports journalist, Ahmed Fulani has blamed the referee for Arsenal’s loss against Paris Saint-Germain.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Fulani said winning the Premier League has covered up for the loss of the Champions League. He said:
“The referee had the power to review the foul against Arsenal, but he remained adamant. Last night’s result was bitter and not what we expected, but we have moved on because it was not meant to be ours.
“Winning the EPL was a big achievement, but to do a double would have been so nice. No banter from haters would affect us because we are ahead of you in winning the EPL already.
“Let’s all begin next season and see who will be happy again at the end. Gunners, well done for standing firm throughout the season.”
Arsenal’s spotless disciplinary record questioned
We earlier reported that Arsenal benefited from a number of incidents that could have significantly altered matches during their title charge.
Three separate penalty appeals against the north London club were judged to have been incorrectly dismissed during the season.