Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has supported VAR’s decision not to award Arsenal a penalty in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg match against Real Madrid.
The Gunners hosted the reigning European champions at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, aiming to secure an advantage ahead of their trip to the Santiago Bernabeu next week.
Mikel Arteta’s side started strongly, with Gabriel Martinelli repeatedly breaking behind Madrid’s defense. Their closest early chance came in the first 15 minutes when a corner was inadvertently blocked on the goal line by William Saliba.
In the 15th minute, referee Irfan Pelijo paused play for a potential Arsenal penalty after Declan Rice’s close-range volley, following a cross from Martinelli, was blocked by Raul Asencio.
Replays showed the ball struck Asencio’s left arm near Thibaut Courtois’ goal. VAR official Bastian Dankert reviewed the footage for several minutes before deciding to let play continue.
Clattenburg, speaking on Amazon Prime Video’s live broadcast, explained the delay in decision-making, noting the differences between UEFA and Premier League handball rules.
“I’d be surprised if that was given,” he said. “The distance was extremely short, and he wasn’t deliberately making himself bigger.
“UEFA has stricter handball regulations than the Premier League and often penalizes outstretched arms. However, in this case, I don’t believe it was a penalty.”
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