Exclusive: Keith Hackett reacts to Lewis-Skelly Arsenal penalty incident vs PSV

Exclusive: Keith Hackett reacts to Lewis-Skelly Arsenal penalty incident vs PSV

Arsenal were rightly not awarded a penalty during their Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven, Keith Hackett has said.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that Myles Lewis-Skelly went to ground too easily after a push to justify a spot kick being given.

The young Arsenal left-back was lucky not to be sent off when the Gunners thrashed PSV 7-1 in the first leg of this last 16 tie the previous week.

Lewis-Skelly produced a much better performance for Arsenal in the second leg, which ended as a 2-2 draw to give Mikel Arteta‘s side a 9-3 win on aggregate.

However, he was denied a spot kick that might have helped take his side to double figures across the two legs of that tie.

Myles Lewis-Skelly penalty appeals ignored

After goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko had taken the score to 1-1 inside the opening 20 minutes, Lewis-Skelly went in search of a goal to put his side back in front.

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On the half-hour mark, the Arsenal full-back was able to break into the PSV penalty area, before firing a shot that came off PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez and on to the post.

Myles Lewis-Skelly vs PSV Total (as per SofaScore) Minutes Played 90 Successful Passes 29/31 Duels Won 3/3 Shots on Target 1 Defensive Actions 0

As Lewis-Skelly then rushed to get to the rebound first, he went down after an apparent push in the back from opposition defender Adamo Nagalo.

That led to appeals for a penalty from Arsenal players and fans that were turned down by Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic.

Hackett has now confirmed that he believes the decision not to award a penalty to the Gunners over that incident was the correct one.

Keith Hackett reacts to Arsenal penalty claim

Speaking to Football Insider about that call from the official not to give a spot kick to Arsenal, the former referee said:

“In the Arsenal game I support the referee in not awarding a penalty kick. The attacker feeling contact goes to ground too easily.”

Declan Rice would later put Arsenal back in front from a Raheem Sterling assist before Couhaib Driouech produced a second equaliser for PSV.

Even so the Gunners had already established enough of a lead from the first leg to cruise into the quarter finals.

Before that they will focus on a clash with Chelsea in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon (16 March).

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