We saw two great games in the first quarter-final matches of the Champions League, both of which ended in draws. In a match full of quality and great goals, Real Madrid and Manchester City played 3-3, while Arsenal and Bayern Munich played 2-2 in a game that brought controversial refereeing decisions to the fore. One big one on both sides.The English side believes that they were damaged because Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg did not call a penalty in the last moments of the match after Manuel Neuer’s tackle on Bukayo Saka. Meanwhile, the Germans are unhappy with the Swede’s decision to go lightly over an obvious handball by Gabriel when their team was leading 2-1.UCL: Trossard saves Arsenal and VAR controversy in injury time at the EmiratesIt was a rather bizarre situation in the Gunners penalty area. After the referee’s whistle, David Raya passed the ball to Gabriel, but the Brazilian caught it with his hand and returned it to the penalty area, and restarted the action as if he was the one making the break. To make things even weirder, he passed the ball back to Raya… The Bayern players immediately reacted by spreading their arms towards the referee and asking for a penalty, even Mikel Arteta seemed to understand that the referee could point to the penalty spot, but the Arsenal coach could soon breathe a sigh of relief.##NAJAVA_MECA_8021071##Unlike the Spaniard, the disgruntled Thomas Tuchel commented on the controversial situation after the match.”I don’t think the referee had the courage to play an obvious penalty because it happened under strange circumstances. But, he admitted on the field that he saw the situation, only that, in his opinion, it was not enough to characterize it as a penalty in the quarter-final match of the Champions League. I know it was a bizarre situation, but the referee gave the signal for play, after which their footballer played with his hand. What particularly angers us is his explanation. He told my players that it was a ‘child’s mistake’ and that’s why he didn’t award a penalty in such an important game. That’s a terrible explanation. A child’s mistake or an adult’s mistake, whatever it is, we’re angry because it was a big decision to our detriment,” Tuchel pointed out, aware that Bayern could have had a two-goal advantage in those moments.The famous Rio Ferdinand also agreed with Bayern’s coach, who commented in disbelief on the referee’s decision not to award Arsenal a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time. However, when he saw the situation from inside the Gunners’ penalty area, the former Manchester United defender was even more critical of Glenn Nyberg.”This is a penalty. Oh my God, how did the referee not call this?! I was so adamant that the penalty was on Saka, but I’m even more for this! Unbelievable… How could he play the continuation of the game and then not award penalty,” Ferdinand wondered after watching the video of Gabriel’s move.While the situation in front of Bayern’s goal can be discussed as to whether the intensity of Neuer’s and Saka’s duel was enough for a penalty to be awarded, and whether Saka deliberately tried to make contact with the Bayern goalkeeper, it seems that in case from Arsenal’s penalty area, there is not much to support the Swedish referee’s decision. Especially not that Gabriel’s move was a beginner’s or “child’s mistake”.As far as Arsenal’s complaints go, Saka was furious with Nyberg’s decision, he argued with the Swede until he entered the tunnel to the locker room, but of course, he failed to convince him that Neuer fouled him which would have probably given his team a chance to win 3-2.Close to 2,000,000,000 euros invested in the renovation of the stadium but the grass is not good?!Although some think the Arsenal striker deliberately initiated the contact and that the Bayern goalkeeper’s start was not intense enough for the referee to point to the penalty spot, Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown commented in disbelief on the TV broadcast about the details from the last five minutes of the match compensation.”How is this not a penalty? I can’t believe that the referee didn’t point to the penalty spot… This is a clear penalty! I’m in the stadium and I’m walking in disbelief holding my head in my hands,” said the former defender of Manchester United and the English national team vividly. The former Arsenal defender agreed with him, adding that he found it strange that the referee did not ask to see the footage himself.After Saka’s goal, Bayern made it 2-1, but Leandro Trossard scored in the 76th minute for what would turn out to be a final 2-2. The Belgian also disagreed with the decision of the referee Nyberg, which the Swede made in consultation with the VAR room.”To me, it seemed like a clean penalty; I think there was contact. We are not satisfied with the outcome of the game, but when you lose 1-2 at halftime, a draw is also good. We started well. We could have scored two or three more goals after the lead, but you saw what Bayern’s quality is,” stated Trossard.Gunners coach Mikel Arteta did not want to breathe a fuss over the referee’s decision.”I didn’t see the situation well, but the decision was made and we can’t change it. We could have done a lot more tonight,” the Spaniard is aware that his team missed several good chances to get ahead before the rematch in Munich.Arteta added that he had spoken to the referee about the controversial situation.”He only told me that they checked the situation in the VAR room and decided that there was no penalty.”Bukayo Saka is fuming with that late decision #ARSBAY pic.twitter.com/qPrMYbpc3Z— Aadam Patel (@aadamp9) April 9, 2024
