Arsenal averted defeat within the first leg in opposition to Bayer in Leverkusen with a late penalty after dropping to Robert Andrich’s opener.
Turkish referee Halil Mellor dominated that the contact between substitute Malik Tillman and Noni Maduke deserved a spot-kick within the remaining moments of the match, which former Leverkusen ahead Kai Havertz transformed for Arsenal.
The choice sparked a lot debate, with many neutrals believing the referee was mistaken and questioning why VAR didn’t overturn it.
Effectively, the referee’s determination to award a penalty within the occasion of contact is rarely overturned by VAR, and clearly that was the case. This doesn’t fall beneath the class of “apparent error.”
However to say it was tender could be an understatement. This contact didn’t disturb Madueke, who was in full management of the ball even within the harmful scenario, however as a substitute of continuous to play and rating or discover his teammates, the Arsenal winger selected to face on the bottom along with his legs bent.
This was a problem that led to a penalty for Arsenal…do you assume it was the fitting determination? 🤔@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/5GXcNDu4Gn
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) March 11, 2026
