TV personality Laura Woods joined the chorus of furious Arsenal fans reacting to a controversial refereeing decision during the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, which they dubbed a “robbery”. The incident saw Bukayo Saka denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Gunners supporters faced an early setback when Ousmane Dembele put the French side ahead just four minutes into the match at the Emirates.
However, as Arsenal pushed for an equaliser in the first half, referee Slavko Vincic made a call that drew widespread criticism.
With four minutes left before the break, Saka, 23, challenged PSG defender Nuno Mendes on the right wing. After Saka made light contact, Mendes appeared to stumble dramatically. A subsequent touch from Saka then seemed to genuinely put Mendes off balance.
Crucially, the English winger managed to win the ball and was in position for a clear run towards goal.
However, the assistant referee raised his flag, awarding a soft free-kick against Saka. When the main referee, Vincic, blew his whistle, Saka`s frustration was evident as he kicked the ball away.
Instead of a prime chance to equalise, Saka received a yellow card.
This sequence ignited a furious reaction from Arsenal supporters watching the match, including Laura Woods.
She tweeted: “Might be biased here but Saka is absolutely amazing. Just love him. Never a booking.”
Many other fans took to social media to voice their anger.
One user exclaimed: “This is an absolute disgrace. Saka is through on goal here if the ref doesn`t give this… we are witnessing a daylight robbery rn.”
Another simply wrote: “No comment.”
A third added: “That’s never ever a foul from Saka. The linesman was standing literally two yards away.”
A fourth commented: “Referee is calling this way too tight. Never a foul on Saka who would’ve been clear through on goal. Hate when referees reward defenders with those fouls. So soft.”
A fifth fumed: “It is a scandal!”
A sixth replied: “People saying that push from Saka was enough for a foul… game`s gone.”
And a final user simply responded: “That`s not a foul.”
Conversely, some pointed out that Arsenal fans might not have grounds to complain given that Jurrien Timber was arguably fortunate not to concede a penalty earlier for impeding Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with his arm.
Arsenal were also left frustrated by VAR in the second half when Mikel Merino`s header was disallowed for a marginal offside after a free-kick routine.
Furthermore, they were thwarted by two exceptional saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma. The PSG goalkeeper expertly pushed away Gabriel Martinelli`s shot before brilliantly turning a Leandro Trossard strike around the post.
Dembele`s early goal proved decisive in the first leg. This means Arsenal face a challenging task, needing a win at the Parc des Princes next week to keep their hopes of Champions League glory alive.
