Arsenal were left frustrated after a key penalty appeal was turned down during their UEFA Champions League final clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The incident happened in extra time, specifically in the 101st minute, when Noni Madueke went down inside the penalty area following contact with PSG defender Nuno Mendes.

Despite strong appeals from Arsenal players and bench, referee Daniel Siebert chose not to award a penalty, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) did not intervene.The match itself was highly competitive.Arsenal took an early lead through Kai Havertz in the 6th minute after PSG made a defensive mistake.However, PSG equalised later in the second half through a penalty scored by Ousmane Dembele, forcing the match into extra time.The controversial Madueke incident then became a major talking point, especially after Arsenal eventually lost the final in a penalty shootout.

According to former referee Graham Scott, who analysed the situation, the decision not to award a penalty was based on the level of contact, which he said did not meet the required threshold.

He explained that while the challenge might have been considered a foul elsewhere on the pitch, referees tend to apply a higher standard when making decisions inside the penalty area due to the serious consequence of awarding a penalty.

Scott also noted that although Arsenal could feel hard done by, especially since similar physical challenges elsewhere in the match resulted in free kicks, the referee’s decision was not considered a clear or obvious error.This interpretation aligns with VAR protocols, which only allow intervention in cases of obvious mistakes.The moment has since remained a significant ‘what if’ in the match, as Arsenal narrowly missed out on European glory.