“Daylight Robbery!” Arsenal Fans Outraged Over Refereeing Chaos in Champions League Clash With PSG
LONDON- Arsenal supporters were left furious after a series of controversial refereeing decisions during their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, played yesterday at Emirates Stadium in London.
Referee Slavko Vincic faced intense scrutiny over his calls, with fans inside the stadium and online expressing their anger over what they saw as unfair officiating.
The frustration peaked when Bukayo Saka was penalized for a questionable foul on Nuno Mendes, stopping a potential goal-scoring chance.
Saka was later booked for kicking the ball away, further escalating tensions.
Both teams had penalty appeals—PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia appeared to be impeded by Myles Lewis-Skelly, while Arsenal’s Mikel Merino saw his opportunity denied by Joao Neves, though replays suggested Neves made contact with the ball first.
According to Football365, Vincic’s officiating dominated discussions on social media, with Arsenal fans accusing him of inconsistent decision-making.
Many attending the match booed the referee, while others took to X to vent their frustration, claiming the official was favoring PSG.
Despite the controversy, PSG took an early lead, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring in the fourth minute, capping off a 27-pass buildup that caught Arsenal’s defense off guard.
The Gunners struggled to respond, with Gianluigi Donnarumma producing a crucial save to deny Saka just before halftime.
Arsenal entered the semi-final after eliminating Real Madrid with a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory in the quarter-finals, while PSG had previously knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa, proving their strength against Premier League opposition.
Historically, Arsenal had not lost any of their previous five meetings with PSG, including a 2-0 victory earlier in the season during the group stage.
PSG’s recent form had been inconsistent, suffering a 3-1 defeat to Nice in Ligue 1 just days before the semi-final—marking their first league loss of the season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Declan Rice and PSG’s Fabián Ruiz were expected to be key figures battling for midfield control, but the match was overshadowed by refereeing controversy.
With a 1-0 deficit, Arsenal now faces an uphill battle in the second leg at Parc des Princes, where they must overturn the result to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
