Arsenal gifted Bayern Munich two goals in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, and had to settle for a draw at the Emirates Stadium.
Despite taking the lead through Bukayo Saka early on, Arsenal found themselves 2-1 down at the break after errors led to an equaliser from Serge Gnabry and a penalty from Harry Kane.
Mikel Arteta’s side found an equaliser through Leandro Trossard, after the Spaniard made some excellent substitutions, and they thought they could have had a penalty at the end when Saka went down in the box after colliding with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
It was a controversial moment, and a decision which could have potentially gone either way, and former Arsenal star Martin Keown has now given his verdict on whether the referee made the right call.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka from his age, parents and house
Martin Keown gives verdict on Bukayo Saka penalty claim in Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, Keown stated that most referees would have given a penalty, and slammed the decision against his old side.
“It’s movement towards the ball. I think if you had ten top European referees here tonight, nine of them would have given it and this referee is the only one who hasn’t given it,” he stated.
“I find it quite alarming that he hasn’t given that penalty, but look at Neuer’s knee you see that movement towards the ball there, and that movement is enough to give that penalty for me”
Bukayo Saka penalty claim was contentious in Arsenal v Bayern Munich
This moment in the final minute of the game could be one which defines the whole tie, as going to the Allianz Arena with a one-goal lead would have been preferable to going there all square.
It was such a contentious decision which could have gone either way, and given that Arsenal were lucky to not concede another penalty themselves after a mix-up between Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya, it is hard to pin too much blame onto the referees for the result.
Arsenal now need to balance their Premier League title challenge with their Champions League commitments, as they face a tough battle against Aston Villa on Sunday before travelling to Munich for the second leg of the tie with Bayern.