Arsenal hero Ian Wright has claimed that PSG had “the number” of referee Slavko Vincic during the Gunners’ defeat to the French giants on Tuesday evening.
It came following a frustrating evening for the north London outfit, who made a slow start at the Emirates Stadium.
A momentary lapse of judgement saw Ousmane Dembele strike just four minutes into the tie, giving his side the lead.
While Arsenal put the pressure on, both teams missed big chances to keep the tie within a one-goal swing.
It means that Arsenal trail PSG 1-0, but there is another huge match in the reverse fixture at the Parc des Princes, which is set to create the Champions League final matchup.
Coming away from the match was plenty of frustration, not least with referee Slavko Vincic during the general play.
What Ian Wright thought about referee Slavko Vincic in Arsenal vs PSG
Arsenal fans were frustrated by the refereeing in their clash with PSG, for several different reasons in the match.
The most prominent point, however, appeared to be the soft decisions being given that made the game a stop-start encounter.
While no huge errors were made by Vincic, it did make a difficult evening for the Gunners just that bit tougher.
Ian Wright made mention of it when speaking on Wrighty’s House, claiming: “I don’t wanna blame referee, don’t wanna get involved, but I just thought that they [PSG] had the referee’s number a bit with the way they were committing fouls and going down when we committed fouls. A real experienced job on us.”
It shows the level of frustration at the referee’s calls, but also the importance for Arsenal to focus on their own performance.
The Gunners weren’t at the levels they would’ve wanted to be at, with it being an important moment in the club’s history.
The task at hand is now clear, though, there must be a turnaround at the Parc des Princes in the following week to make the Champions League final.
What Mikel Arteta said about the referee after Arsenal vs PSG
Mikel Arteta hasn’t been shy regarding his opinion of some refereeing in the past, but the Arsenal boss was slightly more subdued after defeat to PSG.
When asked about decisions against Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, he simply told the press: “It was so clear, I don’t think I have to give my thoughts. Thank you.”
He was just as coy when asked if the referee stopped the game too much, adding: “No, there’s no complaint.
“I mean, they are here to try to do their work in the best possible way, and they certainly try it. Sometimes we can have different opinions about certain situations, and that’s the case.”
It certainly suggests that Arteta didn’t agree with the decisions made against Arsenal, but keen not to focus on it too much.
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