Mark Clattenburg has shed light on why Paris Saint-Germain were not awarded a penalty during their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia appeared to be brought down inside the box.
The two sides faced off at the Emirates on Tuesday night in the first leg of their semifinal showdown, with PSG making an explosive start.
Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring in just four minutes with a stunning strike, giving the French club an early lead. ..Continue Reading
The forward has been in exceptional form this season and is among the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or. His early goal put Arsenal under immediate pressure.
Mikel Arteta’s squad now face an uphill battle if they hope to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.
However, their challenge could have been even greater had the referee awarded a penalty to Kvaratskhelia shortly after Dembele’s goal.
The Georgian international maneuvered into the Arsenal box and seemed to be pulled down by Jurrien Timber.
Replays showed Timber’s arms wrapped around Kvaratskhelia, yet no penalty was given, sparking disbelief among fans online.
Clattenburg later provided an explanation during Amazon Prime’s broadcast.
Joining the commentary panel, the former Premier League referee clarified why the incident did not warrant a penalty.
He pointed out that Kvaratskhelia’s movement and the way he fell did not appear natural.
Additionally, Clattenburg stated that, in his view, the PSG forward should have been booked for his reaction to the challenge.
He said: “I just don’t think it was a penalty. What the referee’s looking at is, he’s looking to see if this fall is natural.
“The attacker puts his arm in the air and that’s usually a tell tale sign that he’s simulating, he’s trying to tell the referee it’s a foul. What I didn’t like was his reaction after the contact. Running at the referee, he’s fully deserving of a yellow card for dissent.”
