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Mikel Arteta suggested Arsenal were denied a crucial penalty during their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, with the Spaniard pointing to what he believed was a game-changing refereeing decision in Budapest.
The Gunners saw their hopes of lifting a first-ever Champions League title end in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw against PSG. But much of the post-match discussion centred on a controversial extra-time incident involving Noni Madueke and Nuno Mendes.
Arteta stopped short of directly criticizing the officials but made it clear he felt Arsenal had reason to feel aggrieved.
"I watch it back and it could easily be a penalty," Arteta told TNT Sports.
"Especially we see the penalty they gave me this year in the competition.
This season, the referee made a decision, and he made a different one with Cristhian Mosquera and that is an important one. "
The Madueke incident that divided opinion
The flashpoint came during extra time when Madueke burst into the PSG penalty area and went to ground following a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge with Mendes.
Referee Daniel Siebert immediately waved play on, and VAR chose not to intervene.
Look at this challenge from any angle. Mendes comes across Madueke's body and brings him down.
Clear penalty for Arsenal but Daniel Siebert decides against giving it. pic.twitter.com/l5aQzHEfXC- Goaldata - Arsenal Zone (@ArsenalZNE) May 30, 2026
The decision sparked furious appeals from Arsenal players, with Declan Rice among those who confronted the referee after the incident.
Replays showed contact between the two players, but opinions remained split over whether it was enough to warrant a spot-kick.
Football Pundits disagree over penalty decision
The incident quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the final, with several former players offering contrasting verdicts.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believed the referee made the correct call.
"Mendes, what saves him, he just gets his arm across, which remains goal side," Keown explained.
"If he's completely the other side there, that's a penalty. The referee's right on the spot, I don't think VAR will see enough in that to overrule the referee's decision. "
TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist disagreed. "I think I'm giving that, you know," McCoist said.
"The only thing is, you look at Madueke's left arm, comes across as well. "
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard also felt Arsenal had a strong case.
"Do you know what? I think it's very clumsy from Mendes," Gerrard said. "I also think there's a bit of contact, I think Arsenal can be hard done by, in my opinion. "
Meanwhile, former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere argued that few would have complained had the penalty been awarded.
"I've seen them given, and if it was given, I don't think we'd say 'Ah, that's definitely not a penalty'. "
Samir Nasri claims Arsenal were 'punished'
Former Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri went even further in his assessment of the officiating.
Speaking after the match, Nasri claimed the referee's approach changed after Arsenal frustrated PSG during the opening half.
"In the second period, the referee systematically whistled against Arsenal," Nasri said. "He punished them for their time-wasting in the first half. "
However, Nasri stopped short of calling the Madueke incident a clear refereeing error.
"If he whistles for a penalty, I don't think VAR would have cancelled it. But the fact that he didn't whistle is not a scandal either. "
His comments reflected the wider consensus surrounding the incident: a decision that could have gone either way.
Arteta urges Arsenal to learn from the pain
Despite his frustration over the refereeing, Arteta was quick to praise his players following the defeat.
The Arsenal manager acknowledged the pain of losing a European final on penalties but insisted the club must use the experience as motivation.
"Yes, it is very tough to accept when you are so consistent in the competition all the way to the final and in the end you lose the trophy on penalty kicks, so it is a difficult one," he said.
"They are a superb team and I congratulate them. Individual quality they have, the manner they are coached - they are a top, top team. "
"You have to go through the emotions and if you're in pain, then go through the pain. If you think you could do something else, then learn from it. "
Arsenal left wondering what might have been
For Arsenal, the penalty debate is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
The Gunners were minutes away from potentially earning a match-winning opportunity from the spot before eventually falling 4-3 in the shootout after Gabriel Magalhaes missed the decisive kick.
Whether the Madueke challenge should have resulted in a penalty remains open to interpretation.
What is beyond debate is that the decision became one of the defining moments of a final that slipped agonisingly out of Arsenal's grasp.
