Why Arsenal were furious with the referee just before half-time in Champions League final | OneFootball

Arsenal were not happy with the referee’s decision to blow the half-time whistle before they could take a late corner in the Champions League final.

Despite leading 1-0 against Paris Saint-Germain, the Gunners felt robbed of a golden opportunity to double their advantage right before the break.

The match is currently tightly poised at the 50-minute mark, with Mikel Arteta’s side holding onto their slender lead, but the visual frustration from the first half remains a massive talking point.

Why Arsenal were not happy with the referee

The incident happened in the final seconds of first-half stoppage time. After working the ball deep into the PSG half, Arsenal won a corner on the right wing.

Bukayo Saka went over to take it, placing the ball on the quadrant to deliver one final cross into the box.

However, before Saka could lift his head to pick out a teammate, the referee blew the whistle for half-time.

The Arsenal players were visibly upset at the referee, protesting the denial of their final attacking play.

The frustration quickly spread to the stands, where the traveling Arsenal faithful loudly booed the referee as he walked down the tunnel.

Watch below:

Arsenal have been dangerous from corners this season

The reason behind Arsenal’s frustration is simple: they are arguably the most lethal team in world football from dead-ball situations.

Denying them a corner is almost like denying other teams a major goalscoring chance.

Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

Arteta’s men have turned set-pieces into an absolute science, breaking records along the way.

Arsenal scored 25 goals from set-pieces across all competitions, including a historic, record-shattering 19 goals purely from corners in the domestic campaign.

With aerial powerhouses like Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba waiting in the box, a Saka delivery is a nightmare for any defense to handle.

Stripping away that final chance right before the interval could prove to be a massive moment in this ongoing battle for European glory.