Arsenal’s heartbreaking Champions League Final defeat to PSG will be remembered for many things, but one moment in extra time is certain to dominate debate among supporters for weeks to come.
With the score locked at 1-1 and both sides desperately searching for a winning goal, Noni Madueke appeared to be brought down inside the PSG penalty area by Nuno Mendes.
The Arsenal players immediately appealed, while Mikel Arteta exploded with frustration on the touchline. Declan Rice was equally furious, with both men eventually shown yellow cards during the aftermath of the incident.
The moment that changed everything?
From the first replay, many Arsenal fans were convinced it was a clear penalty.
Madueke drove into the area and appeared to be impeded by Mendes at a crucial moment. Given the magnitude of the occasion, a Champions League Final deep into extra time, supporters expected at least a VAR review to be recommended.
Instead, referee Daniel Siebert waved play on and VAR chose not to intervene.
The decision sparked outrage among sections of the Arsenal support, with social media immediately filling with claims that the Gunners had been denied a potentially season-defining opportunity.
Former players and pundits were also split on the incident, with some believing Arsenal had a legitimate grievance while others argued there was enough contact from both players to justify the referee’s original decision.
Fine margins decide football’s biggest prizes
What makes the incident even harder to accept for Arsenal fans is what followed.
The match eventually went all the way to penalties, where PSG emerged victorious after Gabriel’s final spot-kick flew over the crossbar.
Had Arsenal been awarded a penalty during extra time, the entire story of the final might have been different.
Of course, nobody can say with certainty that Arsenal would have scored, or even gone on to lift the trophy. But what supporters will rightly question is whether they should have been given the opportunity.
Football is often decided by moments, and Champions League Finals are decided by the finest of margins.
This felt like one of those moments.
Arsenal can leave Budapest immensely proud of their efforts after taking one of Europe’s strongest sides all the way to penalties. Yet for many Gooners, the image that will linger longest may not be Gabriel’s missed penalty.
It may be Madueke tumbling in the PSG box, Arteta and Rice protesting furiously, and the referee deciding that play should continue.
What do you think, Gooners? Should Arsenal have been awarded a penalty for the challenge on Madueke?
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No excuses. Take a bow Lads. You did dang good. Much respect…👏🏾
It could have been given. But the fact pundits were split, says it all. It could have but it also wasn’t. It could have gone either way. It didn’t go ours.
What did seem surprising, though, was that it wasn’t referred to VAR
VAR checked it. And they agreed with Ref.
No they didn’t it was not looked or considered.
Yes it was
Der, it was.
Agreed, I was wrong, it was checked.
Sign Rogers and /or Tonali, Sign Tsolis, Livramento, Osimhen.
They all cost money but will make a solid rebuild because all teams are cooking for next campaign. We have the funds. Make the team stronger and go again!!!
I was quite convinced it wasn’t a penalty having seen madueke wrap his arm around mendes’ shoulder, but on reviewing it again, it’s really not that clear cut. I’m now not convinced he dragged mendes down, but because he did make that action with his arm, it looked like he did – on looking again, it doesn’t appear he really locked onto mendes but it’s hard to say.
It could be that mendes barged into the back of him, which would make it a penalty – however, it could still be that madueke did simply fall and pulled mendes with him in an attempt to make it look like a penalty. Oddly one of the most difficult to call penalty claims I can remember, coming at the worst possible time. Not sure at all whether we should feel aggrieved about it!
Either way, I think PSG deserved it, but it was very close and we gave a good account of ourselves. A few tweaks to our attacking play (requiring some change in personnel) could make us truly best in Europe imo
50/50 challenge ,he wrapped his arm around the defender,not a chance that was giving .
You could also look at the one where saka double handed the ball when clearing ,which we definitely got away with the same as the ball hitting both of trossard arms when he deflected it to Havertz for his goal
.
We lost and deserved to having 1 shot on target all game ,one team came to play one team came to stop that .
72 %-28% possession
847 -311 passes
23 -6 shots
A pretty dire CL final .
Glad I cashed out my bet at half time .
Onto next season .
Dan Kit
Unfortunately one team came to play, and one came to defend. We were not bold enough or direct enough, instead chose to defend over attack and got what we deserved. Can’t sit back defend and hope it falls in your lap.
Regardless I’m proud of the players, but disappointed in the negative tactics and Arteta-ball on the biggest stage.
Durand. Same as in the Carabao Cup Final.
A great striker , a great creative midfielder and a decent left winger could have won us the games.. we honestly deserve to lost
. Having one shot on target in 90 minutes is criminal…
Though the boys gave a great fight am proud of them..
Arteta should get a good Gorkeress is not a striker he should be converted to a defender or a defensive midfielder.
U cant win cup with such a striker.
Were you around in 2005 ? We had one shot on target in 120 minutes. Guess what. We won the FA Cup on penalties.
Would you say that was criminal 🤔
No penalty for me. Dan Kit, I agree with you. It’s such a shame, as we’re lead to believe that we’ve got the players to do it.
If such is giving against us , how will you feel ?
We should be discussing the negative rugby 🏉 tactics borrowed by Arteta.
Never has a team been dominating in a champions League final as PSG did to Arsenal. Not even the PSG/Inter final of lat year .
Arsenalbyforce, and look what happened to Inter in the Final. Absolutely hammered by 5 goals. Embarrassing.
As for rugby tactics, wtf are you on about ?
You’d wonder🙄
SueP, unbelievable 🙄
Proud of the guys. The management should please rebuild the midfield and attack for next season.
I didn’t think it was a penalty. But what did annoy was the amount of times our players were buffeted by the PSG players using physicality and it not being acknowledged by the ref. But when we responded in kind, they were awarded a foul every time!
Nonetheless, we weren’t overawed or embarrassed by PSG. Maybe a little bit hesitant in our play. With are offensive players being more defensive than normal and not having their usual impact ie Oedegard, Trossard, Saka.
However, still pleased that PSG’s initial lifeline was down to nothing more than an award of a clumsy penalty. Apart from that we contained them quite well.
More than pleased with this season. Looking forward to the next one already. Wonder who we’ll let go and more so ‘buy’
As a persistent critic of Arteta, I have to say that he got everything right. It was a final, it was facing the best attack in the business, and they hardly made a real chance all 2 hours, only scoring from the spot. Raya hardly broke sweat. Of course he could have thrown us to the wolves? But instead played to our strengths.
I was at the game and I came away with the following thoughts:
Mosquera played out of his skin to contain no 7 until the pen and I was convinced in real time he had to make a challenge (looking at it on video he didn’t cos there is another defender)
Yellow card for Mosquera was v harsh in real time
Madueke incident was a stone cold pen – Mendes comes from behind and puts his arm across the attackers chest – that alone is a foul – and is 5 yds from the ball – he is playing the man from behind and it is not shoulder to shoulder if your arm is across the other guys chest – the foul has already been committed by the time Madueke hooks his arm and Mendes is already falling
We made the best team in Europe look v v ordinary – the stats have nothing to do what happened – 23 shots nonsense – the only thing Raya had to do was save a freekick and yes 7 hit the post – in the knockout phase PSG scored 22 goals in open play – on Sat night they scored none and didn’t look like scoring any
Next season we should offer to swap places and they can play in the prem and we in Ligue 1 – Arsenal would have it wrapped up by Christmas and PSG would be still bashing their heads against low block after low block