Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane expressed his fury, insisting that Gabriel's handball debacle from the previous evening constituted the 'most obvious penalty' he had witnessed, while his counterparts from Bayern Munich also voiced their discontent over what they deemed a 'foolish' situation.

In the midst of a gripping match, Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes inadvertently handled the ball in the second period following a short pass from David Raya, with Bayern holding a 2-1 lead at that juncture.

Referee Glenn Nyberg had already blown his whistle, signaling a halt to play. However, a miscommunication arose, as Gabriel mistakenly believed he was preparing to execute a goal kick. Nyberg, opting for leniency, allowed play to resume—a decision that triggered widespread frustration both on the field and among the spectators, particularly in Germany—before Arsenal managed to level the score through a goal from Leandro Trossard.

"We were clearly entitled to a penalty when the referee blew his whistle," Kane exclaimed. "The goalkeeper passed the ball, and Gabriel handled it. That's the most evident penalty I've ever seen." Despite their dominance, Bayern had to settle for a 2-2 draw in what proved to be a captivating encounter. Bukayo Saka had initially put Arsenal in the lead during the first half, only for Serge Gnabry to equalize, followed by Kane propelling the German side ahead from the penalty spot, courtesy of Leroy Sane drawing a foul from William Saliba.

Thomas Muller was incensed by the decision to let Gabriel off the hook. "The referee had a clear view of the incident. It was simply too foolish and trivial for him to dismiss as inconsequential. However, it's not for us to make that judgment," he remarked.

"The referee's role is to enforce the regulations, irrespective of whether one finds them satisfactory or not. I don't believe the regulation stipulates that if the action wasn't deliberate, the game should resume with a goal kick...I'm not sure what it prescribes. From my perspective, it was an unambiguous penalty."

Thomas Tuchel expressed sheer dismay over the referee's handling of Gabriel's situation, condemning Nyberg's explanation as "atrocious." "In my opinion, and in the opinion of all our players, the referee erred gravely by not awarding a penalty for the handball," he declared.

"The explanation offered on the field is utterly unacceptable. He informed our players that it was a 'childish error' and asserted that he wouldn't award a penalty under such circumstances in a quarter-final match. This explanation is simply appalling. Whether it's committed by a child or an adult, a handball is a handball. We're incensed by this decision, as it significantly goes against us."

German tabloid Bild echoed Bayern's sentiment of feeling robbed, commencing their coverage of the controversy with the exclamatory statement: "That should have been a victory!"

Even within English football circles, pundits opined that Arsenal—and Gabriel—escaped what could have been a humiliating consequence for his error. While Gabriel's mistake may have been understandable—he seemingly mistook Raya's intentions in setting up for the goal kick—at the elite level, it's evident he evaded a potentially dire outcome.

Rio Ferdinand expressed incredulity, emphasizing, "It's a penalty, unbelievable! How could that not be given? I was absolutely convinced about Saka's incident, and this further reinforces it. It's incredible. How could the referee blow the whistle and not award the penalty?"

Martin Keown described it as "utterly indefensible," remarking, "The referee might be somewhat out of his depth. We thought he officiated decently, but there were pivotal moments in the game that both teams will scrutinize."

Despite Bayern's frustration with the aforementioned situation, there was a sense of relief as Nyberg stood firm when Saka went down in the 93rd minute. Saka extended his leg toward the advancing Manuel Neuer and fell, prompting Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to confront Nyberg afterward.

During commentary, Ally McCoist suggested that it wasn't a foul. "The referee might have made the correct call there, as I don't believe Saka needed to extend his leg in that manner," he remarked.

McCoist further added, "He certainly got to the ball first, but there's an aspect where he thrusts his leg out."

Owen Hargreaves, the co-commentator, shared McCoist's perspective on the contentious incident.

However, Ferdinand and Keown held differing opinions in the studio.

"How was that not given?" queried Ferdinand. "With VAR and everything, I can't believe it wasn't awarded."

Former Arsenal defender Keown contended, "Neuer was actually moving toward the ball, he came out and made the challenge. For me, that's a penalty without question."

With the scoreline deadlocked at 2-2 at the conclusion of a tumultuous encounter, the stage is set for an enthralling second leg at the Allianz Arena the following Wednesday. Bayern entered the match on the back of two successive Bundesliga defeats, while Arsenal soared atop the Premier League standings.

Bayern's most recent setback was a humiliating 3-2 defeat at the hands of underdogs Heidenheim, who overturned a 2-0 deficit in the second half.