As Arsenal march into the Champions League semi-finals following a statement two-legged win over Real Madrid, celebrations from the red side of North London are tempered ever so slightly by controversy, player discipline, and officiating inconsistencies.
Among the shining stars and tactical brilliance from Mikel Arteta’s men, one major subplot has Arsenal fans both elated and agitated—most notably, the yellow card that will see Thomas Partey suspended for the first leg of the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
In a passionate message to Football365, a longtime Arsenal supporter named Dave from Enfield (currently living in Meath, Ireland) wrote in to express both the pride and the frustration felt during the dramatic second-leg victory in Madrid.
“With 15 or so minutes left on the clock tonight my heart sunk when Partey was booked for a small retaliation,” Dave recalled. The midfielder’s booking, coming after a tangle with Antonio Rudiger, has sparked debate among fans about double standards in officiating. “I did not get to see [the incident] again, against Rudiger for a blatant or at least seemingly intentional head butt on Merino.”
While acknowledging that Partey’s decision to risk involvement was unwise—“it was a stupid thing to even risk getting yourself a yellow”—Dave pointed out the disparity in how Real Madrid players were treated by the referee.
“In particular Bellingham, who for all his hype, really just showcased his level of arrogance (eyeballing the referee one minute into the game after an obvious foul),” he wrote. The young England star’s physical and petulant performance didn’t go unnoticed, especially a “horse collar throw down of Timber after a ball went out of play.”
“That was surely a yellow card offence which in the unlikely event of Madrid progressing would have had him suspended,” he added.
Antonio Rudiger didn’t escape criticism either, with the defender accused of losing control. “Rudiger was no different throughout the match before finally losing his head in that challenge on Merino and his stamp on Skelllllyyyyy may have been accidental, but based on the way he carried himself throughout the game I’m leaning towards a certain degree of shithousery and intent in that one.”
Dave’s main frustration lies in the uneven distribution of punishments. “The fact is these players would have escaped suspension for the semi-final despite constant cynical and petulant fouls but Partey was booked for what seemed innocuous enough,” he said. “The ref was very good on the night but it did appear that Madrid were escaping just punishment throughout.”
The loss of Partey for the next round is a bitter pill for Arsenal fans, especially given the midfielder’s growing influence on the pitch. “Partey being suspended will be a massive miss for Arsenal, a player I think has been severely underrated for his contributions for a long time, especially in his ability to turn defence into attack and his range of passing is often overlooked,” Dave added, hinting that Partey may be on his way out this summer.
Despite the grievances, the tone was ultimately one of triumph and optimism.
“Tonight was quite special,” he wrote. “As an Arsenal fan who never got to enjoy the early noughties, my earliest memory being the 2006 UCL final in Paris, I don’t think I’ve watched two Arsenal matches as intensely and nervously as these two ties.”
The win feels symbolic to many—proof that Arteta’s project has matured. “Bring on the semi-finals and bring on the quite hilarious proposition of Arteta winning a UCL in spite of the angry social media multisphere,” he concluded, before adding with good humour, “PS. Swore that if I ever wrote in, it wouldn’t be about the ref (quite ashamed of it all now really).”
Whether or not Arsenal go on to lift the trophy in Istanbul, fans like Dave know this campaign will be remembered—not just for results, but for the grit, belief, and renewed European identity.
