While Arsenal and Bayern Munich both walked away with everything to fight for in the second leg, a highly controversial moment outlined the post-match discussions on social media. One would be mistaken if they assume that the most controversial moment from the game was Bukayo Saka being denied a penalty. Clips show that Arsenal were fortunate to walk away without conceding a penalty to their rivals.
While Saka being brought down in the penalty box has a case to argue for itself, the incident in question was much more evident than the former. As seen in the clip, Arsenal keeper David Raya plays the ball to teammate and defender Gabriel Magalhães. Gabriel however, picks up the ball with his hand and places it back down on the turf to play a pass.
Even though Bayern forwards Harry Kane and Leroy Sane were quick to appeal for handball, the referee let play carry on. In a bizarre turn of events, the match official later explained to the players on the pitch that it was a ‘kid’s mistake’ and that he will not award a penalty for the same in a Champions League quarter-final!
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel was enraged about the decision in a post-match press conference.
Bayern boss calls out ‘terrible mistake’ by match official
With Bayern Munich effectively being out of the title race in the Bundesliga , the club have shifted all of its attention to the Champions League. Despite the final score against Arsenal reading 2-2, Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel certainly felt that his side deserved more. The referee choosing not to award Tuchel’s men a penalty for a ‘handball’ certainly didn’t sit well with the German.
The referee made a huge mistake - there was a penalty for a handball. It was a crazy situation. The referee whistles, they put the ball down and the defender (Gabriel) takes the ball with his hands. Calling it a kid's mistake is a horrible, horrible explanation. We feel angry because it was a huge decision against us. Thomas Tuchel told the press in a post-match interview
Mistake or not, fans certainly felt the need to take the discussion up on football X. Many believe that Bayern were robbed of a clear penalty while others justified the referee’s call.
With the second leg of the tie coming up in just over a week, fans are thrilled to see who will finally come out on top in the tie. After an embarrassing 10-2 defeat years ago, the Gunners will be out to prove a point. On the other hand, the Champions League remains the only possible route for claiming any sort of silverware for Bayern.
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