Tale of two penalties
Wed Apr 09 03:52PM
Arsene Wenger blamed the referee and his own defence for Arsenal's 4-2 defeat in an astonishing Champions League quarter-final at Liverpool.
The Gunners were seven minutes away from advancing to the semi-finals on the away goals rule after scoring to take the score to 2-2 on the night, but went out 5-3 on aggregate after two late Liverpool goals.
A controversial penalty award by Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt for a tug on Ryan Babel by Kolo Toure saw Steven Gerrard score the crucial goal to put Liverpool 3-2 ahead with five minutes to play.
To rub salt into Wenger's wounds, Arsenal had an identical appeal for a penalty dismissed in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last week when Liverpool held them to a 1-1 draw in London.
"We have a feeling of disappointment and injustice. At the moment it is difficult because the whole dressing room is down," Wenger said.
"The game is over for us. It was down to a dodgy decision, I believe, from the referee.
"Over the two games it was difficult to swallow. It was a double disappointment because all the big decisions went against us.
"We have to live with that. Sometimes you have to swallow the unswallowable. It is difficult to understand for me.
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So is that all it is? A tale of two penalities... one given, one not. Both borderline calls that favored Liverpool. We look forward to your comments.
For me, the shame is that "Walcott's" goal - yes, it was K2's goal, but Walcott's run and set up was just amazing - really deserved to be the winner. What a moment. The ensuing penalty call that decided the game and the tie was so anti-climatic. Such a shock and in such contrast to the beautiful football on display just before.
Arsenal got a raw deal. In the first game ref Peter Vink overlooked what was a legitimate penalty. In this past game Toure gets called for a less obvious offense. Ultimately the ref decided to make a call that would determine the game. Very disappointing officiating.
From rong7676 on Wed Apr 09 04:25PMa
From rong7676 on Wed Apr 09 04:25PMThis is football, referee can't guarantee make right judgement at all time. I pity Arsenal as they have been playing well and deserve to win at least one champion this year. Without big spending this season, Arsenal have done much better than others.
From amyteoh on Wed Apr 09 04:40PMAt the end of the day it's no use whinging about penalty decisions, 5-3 agg to Liverpool is the only thing that counts. More pertinently for fantasy football, do you think Wenger will give Theo more of a run in the Premiership after that display?
From no_original_thought on Wed Apr 09 04:48PMDecisions like these are the ones that managers talk about when they say that "decisions balancing themselves out over the course of the season doesn't hold water" i think it's true when they say that, a penalty given that shouldn't have in a game that means nothing doesn't compare to a penalty given that perhaps shouldn't have in a knockout tournament. Of course that's never going to change, the FA will never use replays because they seem determined to make the game as grey as possible.
From hevydevy2002 on Wed Apr 09 05:13PMWould have been worse if they hadnt got the 5th though. Still if you say the first was a penalty then liverpools has to be given regardless of whether there was a mistake in the first leg.
still not as bad as the spurs sevilla game's penalty decisions last season. If that had been a top four club in the champions league there would have been uproar, effigies burned and possibly riots in the streets.
From joshtottenham on Wed Apr 09 05:52PMThese perplexing decisions follow on the absolutely ridiculous red card given to Materazzi in the previous round. Are there any conspiracy buffs out there? Hmmmm.........
From relap1 on Wed Apr 09 06:18PMIt's always disappointing for a game to be decided by a penalty kick - and I'm a Liverpool supporter to the core. But you must admit, it was a smashing game. Both sides had opportunities that could/should have been put away, there was brilliant passing, clever play - all in all I think it was a fantastic display of football. And I would have said that if my Reds had lost. Great game, too bad it did come down to a penalty - though a just one! I think Arsenal had a legit claim in the first leg for Kuyt's foul on Hleb, but Toure's foul on Babel was just as legit.
I'm tired of managers blaming referees for why they lose games (you notice they never give the ref credit when they win?). There was 180 minutes of football played, it was close, the ref's doing the best job he can - it can't come down to "the refs won it for Arsenal". That's ridiculous.
Well done Reds! Great game Gunners. Best of luck against Chelsea and United (should it come to that...)!
From geoffmumley on Wed Apr 09 07:30PMsonderos is the tragic persistent weak link, and almunias distribution is pathetic
From kenny_nightingale on Wed Apr 09 08:32PMGreat Game! Even though I support neither (I'm a forest fan) I wanted liverpool to win but was also delighted by theo's brilliance showing arsene english can be great too. Thought it was a penalty and arsenal were grumbling as they had failed hours after wenger claimed they would win the double. Like the football arsenal play but would much rather see liverpool chelsea.
From nffc_dw on Wed Apr 09 08:41PMI have not posted on here ever, but I love the blog, so thanks guys! I do have some thoughts about the "tale of two penalties" and in fact I don't want to even discuss the Kuyt/Hleb incident, everyone who saw that knew it was a blatant penalty, but water under the bridge right? that being said, I feel the decision to award babel a penalty yesterday was atrocious, was egregious, and was simply unjust. This is not sour grapes. Liverpool won, I accept that. But the call was horrendous. Babel was flailing his arms and was out of control. He has gone down under momentum and his own clumsiness. Toure Moved across the back of him, with his hands in the air in order to not make contact. Minimal contact was made (outside of the box) and babel has carried his run into the box and fallen over. Look at the replay from all angles, you cannot tell me with a straight face that merited a penalty. The 4th goal was moot and would not have happened had the penalty not been given. The Ref has changed the result with a terrible decision. It is simply unfair, such is life!
From arip09 on Wed Apr 09 10:02PMAs a Spurs fan I was just gutted that the tv coverage did not focus enough on the Arsenal fans crying devastated after the game. I would have liked to have seen more of the tragedy and tears.
From jasey_bo on Wed Apr 09 10:24PMOk, as an arsenal fan, i have a few problems with the way these ties played out...first of all, the arsenal front line missed an incredibly large number of opportunities in both games which should have been tap ins at this level of play...as far as the penalties go after watching them over and over i am convinced kuyt pulled hleb down, you can see hlebs' body get turned by kuyts' arm. The babel call i just found ridiculous, but as many have stated in previous posts, the game ended the way it did and there is no use crying over spilled milk......
From jmeisey on Wed Apr 09 10:28PM....In addition i do personally think that wenger has made a tactial mistake in his line up for this game. Obviously the absence of rosicky and sagna hurts, however the return of van persie to fitness presents wenger with the ability to remove diaby and eboue from the wings in favor of hleb on the right and theo walcott on the left, who nobody can now say doesn't rightly deserve a starting position after extremely impressive showings as a substitute in a number of games this season. This in effect would have allowed toure to play in his natural central midfield position as well as freeing eboue to play in his natural right back position, cause frankly aside from pace he can't do anything helpful out of midfield. In effect the extremely weak senderos, who's mistakes cost arsenal the first 2 goals of the second leg, is removed greatly increasing the strenght and speed of the arsenal backline
From jmeisey on Wed Apr 09 10:33PM*correction: toure would be able to play in his natural position in central defense
From jmeisey on Wed Apr 09 10:35PMYes, I am a son of a Gunner. Yes, I view the football world through red and white glasses. But, that doesn't change the facts. Arsenal has played poorly for more than two months. They have wasted scoring chances and their defense has been particularly vulnerable in the air.
That having been said, Liverpool and Arsenal are ranked in the best eight teams in Europe by making it to the quarter finals. They have played each other for 270 minutes in a week. The only difference is two goals. That would be just about one penalty denied plus one penalty given. If the referees are going to decide football matches why don't they just mail the results in and save us all a lot of bother.
Part of Arsenal's problems over the last two months arises from the fact that they have been overly emotional, even paranoid. When they scored their second against 'Pool they thought they had overcome all their obstacles and were still celebrating when the "penalty" was given.
The start of the problem was the Birmingham game. Eduardo's injury has been compared to Busst's and Smith's. What nobody discusses is that neither Conventry nor United recovered from those injuries to win those games. In the second half Arsenal came back to lead the game, only to have it taken away by another dodgy penalty call. Despite Clichy's culpability, I believe that Mr. Dean made a fundamental referee's error and made his call based on what he thought happened rather than what he saw.
To those who preach that things will even out - pray tell me when.From sonofagunner99 on Wed Apr 09 11:15PMTo all who have posted on this article... the passion behind some of the responses is why this game we all love is so great to follow, whether a Forest fan, or Gunner (I go Celtic/ManU/Everton/Black Cats, in that order!) Also - I have said this before... Walcott needs to see more of the pitch. Agree that Senderos needs to see less. Go Cardiff!! (14,15,16) Great analysis... Gunners should be proud to have your support! I apprecate the loyalty...
From donegal08 on Thu Apr 10 02:02AMSenderos could potentially mature and be okay, but Eboue has got to go.
From the_burning_pen on Thu Apr 10 02:23AMI'm die-hard arsenal fan, this 2 unfair decisions destroy Arsenal, but this is part of football. Wenger should blame no one, but i think his formation is too conservative, he shouldn't use Eboue, this guy can only done well in left back, Wenger should use Walcott, he really can make it different.
From gsn869 on Thu Apr 10 02:48AMYes I'm an arsenal fan and to see the game decided by the referees was absolutely painful. I agree with sonofagunner99 who said that "If the referees are going to decide football matches why don't they just mail the results in and save us all a lot of bother". Something has got to be wrong here don't you think so ? The penalty decision in the first leg that was described as Wenger as "blatant penalty" and was one of the wonders of the world to why the referee didn't award arsenal for the penalty. If referees were told to not award penalties to teams easily, then fair enough. Maybe if you need a penalty you need somebody to do an Eduardo then only the referee would point to the spot. But the Liverpool's penalty decision ? It was absurd to say the least. As a fan I am hurt to see my team lost not because they played badly, but because officials had a bad game. Yes arsenal did waste a few chances but look at Walcott's run, it has got everyone talked about it but shamely, his run was marred by the absurd officiating. Having said this, it's still pointless to cry over spilled milk. What a shame really, what a shame.
From kacakbergaya on Thu Apr 10 02:50AMLet's get back to Walcott. I have constantly thought 'what is this guy bringing to the table?' He doesn't score that much, he's not a dribbling master....but that run was a difference maker. Does he have more of that in him? Will Wenger consistently start him? WHAT IS HIS FANTASY VALUE? All this other talk is meaningless.
From gentrykirby on Thu Apr 10 04:06AMI agree with post 19 and 20 made good points too. Once again it's sad to see a big game's headlines is dominated by penalties and the ref's decisions. Wenger should blame no one but himself, sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't. The law of averages will tell you that if you got done by a dubious penalty this week then you will be given one the next. Then would you see Wenger having a moan??,of course you wouldn't!. "Fickleness" is something football managers are born with.
From achako0424japan on Thu Apr 10 05:11AMI´m so tired of this discussion. Hleb should´ve had a penalty - YES! But the Babel penalty was correct, ask any referee. Fabregas pulled his shirt/shoulder, he lost his balance and toure made enough contact for him to go down. The big difference between babel and Hleb is that babel tried to stand up while hleb overreacted his fall.
If it was at the halfway line it should have been a freekick, the same rules applies within the box.
What would happend if he hadn´t awarded the penalty? 2 wrongs never make things right, just more wrong.From axel_nyquist on Thu Apr 10 07:51AMI wont be surprised, that CHELSEA will be in the final in MOSCOW. I'm sure you can see the connections in the ALL CAPS. Yes, sadly football as we know it is losing its integrity. I hope to be proven wrong though.
From alwinlourdes on Thu Apr 10 08:57AMDespite being a Man Utd fan, i cant help it but feel some injustice in Arsenal defeat.
From trungboyshigh on Thu Apr 10 09:01AMThe referee cost Arsenal the game?! Surely K2 missing chances contributed to the cause? Or has that point been overlooked??
From leffeman101 on Thu Apr 10 09:59AMI have to say I think it is much more than a tale of two penalties. While at times Arsenal displayed some skill I never felt they would win it. Apart from the first twenty minutes in the second game Arsenal never looked like troubling Liverpool at all. I think Wenger should, for once, have a look in the mirror. Arsenal defense throughout both games looked shaky at best. Senderos is a fine defender if he does not need to move too much (so do not put him on Torres). The midfield is unbalanced: Fabregas is very tired, Eboue simply fails as a midfielder and Hleb refused to play on the left side in the first game. Offensively Arsenal are extremely weak. Hleb is not a scoring support for Adebayor even if he thinks he is and if you are a top-side you should have more than one striker. In essence the failure to buy decent defenders, a good striker and an established midfielder is seriously starting to break them up. The only decent offensive alternative was only rought into the game 20 minutes before the end... In essence Wenger should question his own tranfer policy and his own tactics.
From vriesjan on Thu Apr 10 10:40AMBy the way this is not the first time. While Arsenal play wonderful football I would like to remind everyone they haven't actually won a lot under Wenger...
From vriesjan on Thu Apr 10 10:42AMFor the life of me I can't see why the Babel penalty is controversial. He was running at pace and then got pushed one way (by Fabregas?) and then the othr by Toure (you can also see his shirt pulled back on the replay). I didn't even realise there was controversy until the next day when I saw Wenger's interview.
Both the Hleb and Babel incidents were definite penalties but maybe if Arsenal focused more on their defensive frailties and inability to convert pressure into goals, and less on blaming referees, they'd actually achieve more.
From peterransom on Thu Apr 10 10:50AMFor me, it's nowt to do with the penalties. In the first 25 mins of the game Arsenal had enough chances to kill off the game. They didn't take them and allowed Liverpool back into it. That is 100 percent Arsenal's responsibility, from the Goalie up to the Strikers. Had they taken those chances, the penalty would have been a consolation goal (if it even happened).
In regards to the first game, Arsenal were at home. Again, it was their responsibility to create and take enough chances to win. They didn't play well enough to do that. So rather than being 3-1 up at the end of the game, it was 1-1 and they were reliant on someone elses decision. The decision was incorrect yes, but that's the situation Arsenal created and Wenger needs to take responsibility for that.
The winning team at football scores more than the other team. There's only one way to do it, put the ball in the back of the net more times than the other. Arsenal didn't! If they played to their best, Liverpool may have found it hard to even get the ball.
From bedungle on Thu Apr 10 11:02AM
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