Arsenal were denied a late penalty in the Champions League final against PSG - leaving the bench up in arms, with Declan Rice and Mikel Arteta both being punished for their reactions
19:27, 30 May 2026Updated 19:43, 30 May 2026
Mikel Arteta was furious that Arsenal were not awarded a penalty in the Champions League final against PSG.
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Mikel Arteta was furious that Arsenal were not awarded a penalty in the Champions League final against PSG.(Image: Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice were left seething when Arsenal were denied a late penalty in their Champions League Final clash with PSG. Both men were shown yellow cards for remonstrating with the officials after referee Daniel Siebert waved away their appeals.
Noni Madueke was bundled to the floor inside the PSG box by Nuno Mendes, with the Gunners screaming for a penalty in the 103rd minute.
VAR did not intervene and Arsenal stars were seen screaming at the officials to get them to check the monitors.
Rice was shown a yellow card for his remonstrations in the dying embers of the the first-half of extra-time, while Arteta was also booked.
The Arsenal boss was shown being dragged back to the bench by his backroom staff to avoid further punishement.
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TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist sided with the Gunners duo and said: "I think I'm giving that y'know. The only thing is, you look at Madueke's left arm, comes across as well."Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard agreed and said: "Yeah, he is, he's just tugging at little bit at Mendes, but what he does, he does great, he gets there first, great pace, the speed to get beyond him.
"D'you know what? I think it's very clumsy from Mendes. I also think there's a bit of contact, I think Arsenal can be hard done by, in my opinion."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was left furious when his side were denied a late penalty against PSG.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was left furious when his side were denied a late penalty against PSG.(Image: TNT Sports screengrab)
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere said: "Yeah, I think Ally described it perfectly, I mean, I've seen 'em given, and if it was given, I don't think we'd say 'Ah, that's definitely not a penalty.
"You can see, the players on the pitch, they know, and Dec was fuming, and he went to the ref, so, I can see it, I've seen 'em given."
"Mendes, what saves him, he just gets his arm across, which remains goal side," former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said. "If he's the 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."
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Kai Havertz had given the Gunners the lead after just five minutes to quash any Arsenal nerves, with Arteta's side good value for their lead at the interval.
PSG may have felt aggrieved not to have been awarded their own penalty in the 16th minute, when a corner bounced up and hit Bukayo Saka on both arms, but Siebert waved away any appeals and no penalty was given.
Despite struggling to find their groove in the opening stages of the game, Luis Enrique's side grew into the first 45 minutes and continued in the ascendency after the break.
PSG livewire Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was brought down by Cristhian Mosquera inside the Arsenal 18-yard box in the 63rd minute.
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Siebert wasted no time in pointing to the spot, and after a VAR review sided with the on field decision, Ousmane Dembele stepped up to convert from the penalty spot.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock in normal time, with David Raya called upon to produce several key saves.