Mark Clattenburg explains whether Atletico Madrid’s penalty vs Arsenal actually should have been given

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Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg, but the result will leave a bitter taste.

The Gunners were excellent in the first half, but their level dropped after the break. Even then, the game ultimately turned on two major refereeing decisions.

Both sides were awarded penalties, but the one given against Arsenal has sparked serious debate.

Mark Clattenburg has now had his say.

Mark Clattenburg delivers verdict on the penalty Arsenal conceded vs Atletico Madrid

This was not a moment where Arsenal were cut open or made a glaring defensive error; it came from a routine block that quickly turned into controversy.

Ben White tried to block a shot by putting his knee in front, but unfortunately for him, the ball glanced off his shin and struck his arm.

Only after that initial contact did the ball ricochet onto his hand, which immediately created confusion.

The referee’s first instinct was to wave play on, which was the right call, but VAR called him to the monitor and made him overturn his decision.

Arsenal Insider spoke to former Premier League referee Clattenburg, and he admitted that it was a harsh decision against the Gunners.

He said: “We saw in the PSG vs Bayern Munich match, UEFA have a different interpretation on handball, even if football fans and myself believe it is too harsh.

“Atletico Madrid got a similar penalty when the ball came off Ben White’s shin before hitting his hand. Handball law has been very subjective and controversial for years, and is at no point being solved.”

That sums it up – it may be within the rules, but it still feels wrong.

Chris Sutton slams shocking refereeing during Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal

Clattenburg’s view reflects a wider frustration around how these decisions are being made, especially in high-stakes games like this.

Arsenal were not at their absolute best, but they still should’ve won the game. However, two refereeing decisions cost them a crucial win.

The first was the White handball, and then, a foul on Eberechi Eze inside the box was overturned by VAR. That looked like a far clearer penalty than the one given against them.

Chris Sutton did not hold back in his assessment of the officiating.

He said on X: “Arsenal can feel so hard done by. Not a great performance, but two shocking decisions go against them.

“Dangerous precedent being set if awarding a penalty for the Ben White handball as it deflected off his shin first. And Hancko stands on Eze’s foot, it’s a pen!”