Arteta says Arsenal 'could easily' have had extra-time penalty in Champions League final defeat to PSG

Mikel Arteta has argued that Arsenal were denied a legitimate penalty during extra time of their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, a shootout loss that ended the club’s hopes of a historic European triumph.

With the score level at 1-1 in the 103rd minute, Noni Madueke and PSG left-back Nuno Mendes clashed in the French side’s penalty area. Madueke went to ground appealing for a spot-kick, but referee Daniel Siebert waved play on and VAR backed the decision without requesting a pitchside monitor review.

“I’ve watched it back and it could easily be a penalty, especially when you see the penalties that they have given in the competition this season,” Arteta said of the incident. “The referee has made that decision, he made a different one on the penalty with Mosquera and that’s an important one.”

The Mosquera decision Arteta referenced came earlier in the match, when the PSG defender was penalised for bringing down Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box — a call that drew little controversy. Ousmane Dembélé converted the resulting spot-kick to cancel out Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute opener, which had given Arsenal a dream start in their first Champions League final for 20 years.

The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, where Gabriel blazed his effort over the crossbar to hand PSG a 4-3 victory. The result means the French club have retained the trophy they won 12 months ago, while Arsenal finish the season with one major honour — a first Premier League title in 22 years.

“It’s really tough to accept,” Arteta said. “When you are so consistent in the competition, all the way to the final, and at the end you lose the trophy on penalty kicks. So it’s a difficult one. But I’m so proud. The season that we have had under the circumstances — just internally we know what we’ve been through. The players have given us so much joy. It is just a privilege to manage this group of players.”

Despite the pain of the defeat, Arteta insisted the experience would serve as motivation rather than a setback. “We need to recognise the season that we had,” he said. “But at the moment, nobody’s going to take the pain away from you. They are a superb team, so we congratulate them. They are very difficult to play against — that’s why they are the champions two times in a row.”

Arsenal’s runners-up finish in Europe’s premier club competition nonetheless represents a significant milestone for a squad Arteta has rebuilt over several seasons, and the manager suggested the club’s ambitions remain firmly intact heading into next season.