Arsenal have grounds to feel aggrieved by their 1-0 loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League, as the only goal they conceded came from a controversial penalty.
In first-half stoppage time, midfielder Mikel Merino handled the ball in the penalty area after Mehdi Taremi’s back-heel flick. Notably, Merino was standing directly behind Taremi and barely had time to react, let alone pull his hand away due to the close distance. Referee Istvan Kovacs immediately awarded a penalty to Inter Milan, which Hakan Calhanoglu successfully converted.
This decision left Arsenal fans furious. They argued that Inter Milan should not have been awarded the penalty in the first place, calling the decision “terrible.”
Additionally, Arsenal supporters believed that Inter Milan’s forward Lautaro Martinez should have been sent off before the penalty was given. The Argentine international received a yellow card in the 16th minute and later gestured for the referee to book William Saliba, an action that could have led to a second yellow card.
Regarding Merino’s incident, if this had been a Premier League match, Arsenal might not have conceded a penalty. Since the 2021/22 season, the Premier League’s handball rule has taken the distance factor into account. This allows referees to assess whether a player had enough time and opportunity to retract their hand before the ball made contact.
In UEFA competitions, however, referees are not required to consider distance when making handball decisions. TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher noted, “You’ll get that penalty in the Champions League. You won’t get it in the Premier League anymore, but in UEFA competitions, you will.”