Mikel Arteta Shares Officials' Response After Bukayo Saka's Last-Gasp Penalty Appeal is Denied

Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, has responded to the controversial decision that denied his team a last-minute penalty in their intense Champions League clash against Bayern Munich. The thrilling first-leg quarter-final match at the Emirates Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw, with the controversial incident occurring in the closing seconds of stoppage time. Bukayo Saka was brought down inside the box by Bayern captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in a challenge that appeared to be risky.

The home fans and Arsenal players passionately appealed for a penalty, which, if awarded, would have provided them with a golden opportunity to secure a victory in the second-leg decider in Germany the following week. However, their appeals were swiftly dismissed by Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg, who then blew the final whistle, leaving the fans in disbelief.

The decision left Arsenal feeling aggrieved, with Saka visibly furious as the highly anticipated encounter between two European powerhouses ended on a contentious note.

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Despite Mikel Arteta's initial anger at the decision not to award Arsenal a late penalty, he chose not to dwell on the incident after the game. Arteta stated that the officials claimed the incident had been properly reviewed by VAR.

When asked about his conversation with the referee after the final whistle, Arteta responded, "The referee didn't say anything. They said they checked it and they decided it wasn't a penalty."

Leandro Trossard, who came off the bench and scored an important equalizer for Arsenal, supported his teammate Saka's claim that it was indeed a penalty.

“On the pitch, it looked like a penalty to me,” he said. “I haven’t seen the replay, but for me it looked like it was clear contact. But I have to wait until after to see it again obviously.”

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