Harry Kane fumed, saying Gabriel’s handball fiasco last night was the “clearest penalty I have ever seen” while his Bayern Munich comrades were furious at a “stupid” situation.
Arsenal defender Gabriel handled the ball in the second half after David Raya made a short pass to him, with Bayern leading 2-1 at the time.
Referee Glenn Nyberg had blown his whistle but there was a misunderstanding and Gabriel thought he was taking the goal kick.
Nyberg was lenient and allowed the game to continue, a decision that sparked anger on the pitch, on the flanks and in Germany, before Arsenal equalized through Leandro Trossard.
“We should have gotten a clear penalty when the referee blew his whistle,” Kane said.
Harry Kane was furious that Bayern Munich were not awarded a penalty in the second half against Arsenal.
He called Gabriel’s ball handling after David Raya’s pass “the clearest penalty I have ever seen in my life.”
Gabriel thought Raya was preparing him to take the goal kick and referee Glenn Nyberg released him, even though he had blown his whistle.
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‘The goalkeeper passed the ball and Gabriel took it in his hands. “It’s the clearest penalty I’ve ever seen.”
Bayern had to settle for a 2-2 draw in an exciting match. Bukayo Saka had put Arsenal ahead in the first half, but Serge Gnabry equalized and Kane put them ahead from the penalty spot.
Muller was furious at the decision to let Gabriel off the hook. He said: ‘The referee saw it clearly. The mistake was too stupid and petty for him to be able to award a penalty. But he doesn’t have to decide that.
‘The referee is there to enforce the rules. Even if he may not be happy with the rule. I don’t think the rule says: Ok, if it wasn’t intentional, he brings the ball back down for a goal kick… I don’t know what it says. “I think it’s a clear penalty.”
Thomas Tuchel was apoplectic when discussing the referee’s award to Gabriel, calling Nyberg’s justification “horrible.”
“For me, for all of us, he (the referee) made a big mistake by not awarding the penalty for handball,” he said.
“I know it’s a crazy situation but they drop the ball, he whistles, gives the ball and the defender [Gabriel] takes the ball in his hand.
‘What really angers us is the explanation on the field. He told our players that it is a โchildish mistakeโ and that he will not call a penalty like this in the quarterfinals.
‘This is a horrible, horrible explanation. He is judging handball. Child’s mistake, adult’s mistake. Whatever. โWe feel angry because it is a huge decision against us.โ
Thomas Tuchel was furious at the referee’s decision not to award Bayern’s second penalty
Bayern couldn’t believe their eyes, as German tabloid Bild said: “That could have been the win!”
The German tabloid newspaper Bild considered that Bayern had been robbed and began its article on the controversy with the exclamation: “That would have been victory!”
Even on English shores, the opinion of experts is that Arsenal (and Gabriel) escaped ignominious punishment for their mistake.
While Gabriel’s mistake was understandable (he obviously thought Raya was setting him up to take the goal kick), at the highest level, it’s clear he dodged a bullet.
Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sports: “It’s a pen, my God.” How can that not happen?
“I was so inflexible that [Bukayo] Saka’s was: I’m even more in favor of this. Is incredible. How can he blow the whistle like that and not blow it?
Martin Keown called it “absolutely indefensible” and added: “The referee is perhaps a little out of his depth.”
“We thought he played a decent game, but there are key moments in the game that both teams can watch.”
If Bayern were furious about that situation, at least Nyberg didn’t give in when Saka went down in the 93rd minute.
Experts Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown were incredulous at the decision after the final whistle.
Saka threw his right leg at Manuel Neuer and fell to the ground, and Mikel Arteta then took to the field to complain to Nyberg.
In the comments, Ally McCoist felt it wasn’t a foul. “The referee could have got it right, because I don’t think Saka needs to throw his right leg at him,” he said.
The Scottish football icon added: “He definitely got there first but there’s one element – he throws his right leg at him.”
Co-commentator Owen Hargreaves also agreed with McCoist’s take on the controversial incident.
However, Ferdinand and Keown disagreed on the study.
‘How come that hasn’t happened?’ Fernando asked. “With the VAR, with everything, I can’t believe it hasn’t happened.”
Former Arsenal defender Keown said: “Neuer really goes towards that ball, comes out and makes the challenge.” For me that’s a penalty all day long.”
At the end of a chaotic match, a score of 2-2 leaves everything at stake for the second leg at the Allianz Arena next Wednesday.
Later in the match, Nyberg ruled in favor of Arsenal when Bukayo Saka went down after colliding with Manuel Neuer.
Bayern came into this match after two consecutive defeats in the Bundesliga, while Arsenal are flying at the top of the Premier League.
Bayern’s most recent defeat was a mortifying 3-2 defeat at the hands of lowly Heidenheim, who overturned a 2-0 deficit in the second half.