After the referee blew the whistle for full-time, Arsenal players surrounded him in protest. Despite facing loud boos from the home fans, not everyone associated with Arsenal believed that the penalty should have been awarded. Club legend Ian Wright supported the referee’s decision to reject Saka’s claims and redirected attention to the second leg, tweeting, “Not a pen for me.
Work to do in Munich.” However, Wright’s stance set him apart from the Arsenal squad. Trossard, one of the players, disagreed with Wright, emphasizing that he saw clear contact and believed it should have been a penalty.
Similarly, Ferdinand expressed disbelief that the penalty was not given, criticizing the decision using examples from the game and stating that he could not believe it. Martin Keown, another former Arsenal player, supported Ferdinand’s perspective. He was also furious, arguing that Neuer, the goalkeeper, initiated the contact with Saka and therefore it should have been a penalty.
Keown emphasized the goalkeeper’s movement and the challenge made, concluding that it was a penalty. Given the strong opinions and differing perspectives, it’s clear that the penalty decision sparked controversy and divided opinions among players and football legends.