Mikel Arteta became frustrated after Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, claiming he could have “easily” been awarded a penalty for a challenge on Noni Madueke.
Arsenal’s dreams of winning their first Champions League came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday as PSG retained their European title with a 4-3 penalty shootout win in Budapest.
After extra time, Kai Havertz scored an early goal for Arsenal, and Ousmane Dembele equalized with a penalty in the second half, ending the game 1-1.
The big story from Arsenal’s perspective was when Maduke collapsed in the box after a scuffle with Nuno Mendes in extra time.
Arteta irritated with referee during game against PSG
Arteta and several Arsenal players were furious that referee Daniel Siebert did not point out the spot, but the decision was not overturned by VAR.
The incident sparked a huge outcry from the Arsenal bench and Arteta was also given a warning.
After the match, Arteta made it clear that he felt Arsenal had a strong case. His view was simple. In the Champions League final, moments like that can change everything.
If Arsenal win a penalty and score, they have a good chance of winning the trophy.
Instead, the game went to penalties, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missing the net as PSG showed their determination.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Arteta said: “It could have been easy to give Maduke a penalty…”.
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey later said the incident appeared to be a penalty in real time, but replays showed Maduke also grabbed Mendes’ arm.
As such, he felt it was not an obvious mistake and meant VAR was right not to intervene.
Arsenal fans left hurt at the end
That kind of explanation probably won’t make Arsenal fans feel good. Having already seen PSG score from penalties, losing a goal in extra time only added to the frustration.
Arteta also urged his players to use the pain of defeat as fuel rather than letting it break their hearts.
Arteta is understandably frustrated, but the decision wasn’t a complete robbery.
This is one of those awkward penalty box incidents involving both players, and it’s rarely overturned by VAR unless the referee missed something obvious.
That said, finals will be decided by small details and Arsenal will be hurt. They were so close to history that Maduke’s moment will be relived for a long time.
Arteta explains the thought process behind Gabriel’s crucial penalty kick
