Bukayo Saka won a late controversial penalty and then scored from the spot as Arsenal beat Chelsea on Wednesday and the forward says it was rightly given as a foul.
The Gunners beat Thomas Tuchel’s side 4-2 at Stamford Bridge and Saka’s spot-kick confirmed the surprise three points for the Blues.
It was an unusual moment as Saka seemed to be hauled down by Azpilicueta, while from another angle it looked like the England forward was holding the Spaniard’s arm.
Saka says he was being held and had to go down to prove to the referee that he was being fouled, although he admitted that Azpilicueta is bound to be angry about the situation.
‘No, I’m trying to get in the box and he’s holding me for about five seconds,’ Saka told Sky Sports.
‘I have to go down. Of course he’s going to be angry at me. Of course if I was him I’d be angry, but it is what it is. ‘I think it was a penalty and the ref didn’t overturn it, so it was a penalty.’
The penalty decision created intense discussion in the Sky Sports studio with Jamie Redknapp believing it was a spot-kick and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink disagreeing with it.
‘I think penalty,’ said Redknapp. ‘I think he gets himself in completely the wrong position, Azpilicueta. He’s not watching the ball, he grabs hold of him.
‘He’s grabbed him, got hold of him, he’s all over him. It’s not an obvious wrong decision from the referee. I think that’s a penalty.’
Hasselbaink said: ‘Not for me. Saka knows what he’s doing and smartly, well done to the boy. He’s got to do whatever he’s got to do to win that match.
‘But he’s holding his arm and then he goes down.’
