Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left deeply frustrated following his side’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.
PSG retained their European crown with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory after the game finished 1-1 following extra time.
Kai Havertz gave Arsenal an early lead before Ousmane Dembele equalised from the spot in the second half to level proceedings.
The match then went into extra time, where the key controversy of the evening unfolded inside the PSG penalty area.
Noni Madueke went down in the box following a coming together with Nuno Mendes, prompting furious protests from the Arsenal bench.
Referee Daniel Siebert did not point to the spot, and VAR chose not to overturn the on-field decision, leaving Arsenal incensed.
Arteta himself received a booking as emotions spilled over during what was an incredibly tense and significant moment in the final.
The Arsenal manager made his feelings clear after the match, stating: “We could have easily had a penalty on Madueke.”
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey later acknowledged the incident looked like a penalty in real time, but noted replays showed Madueke also had hold of Mendes’ arm.
Because of that, Halsey felt the incident did not constitute a clear and obvious error, meaning VAR was correct not to intervene.
Had Arsenal been awarded the penalty and converted it, they could potentially have gone on to claim the trophy without a shootout.
Instead, the match was decided from the spot, where both Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missed as PSG held their nerve to win.
Arsenal came agonisingly close to winning their first ever Champions League title, only for the finest of margins to deny them glory.
Arteta also urged his players to channel the pain of the defeat as motivation going forward, rather than letting it define them.
The Madueke incident will undoubtedly remain a talking point among Arsenal supporters for a very long time to come.
The post Mikel Arteta Voices Frustration Over Penalty Denied To Noni Madueke In Champions League Final Defeat appeared first on Gooner Daily.
