Villarreal manager Unai Emery has slammed referee Artur Dias' decision to award Arsenal a penalty during last night's UEFA Europa League semi-final clash at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
Villarreal ran out 2-1 winners in the first-leg of the highly anticipated last-four showdown, with early goals from Manu Trigueros and Raul Albiol proving to be just enough to hand the Spanish side a slender advantage ahead of next week's second-leg at the Emirates Stadium.
However, the La Liga outfit may be feeling aggrieved that they do not have a two-goal advantage to take into the second-leg after Nicolas Pepe netted a controversial penalty with just 17 minutes of the contest remaining.
The Ivory Coast international was handed the task of bringing the Gunners back into the contest after Bukayo Saka went down inside the penalty area under a challenge of Trigueros. It was the England international's quick feet that drew the foul from the Spaniard, although the contact was minimal.
VAR confirmed that it was a penalty and that Trigueros has caught Saka.
Although it was deemed a penalty, former Arsenal boss Emery was furious with the decision, insisting that the referee "punished" his team.
"When we were 2-0 up, we were penalised with a penalty that was not a penalty," Emery said in his post-match press conference.
"The VAR is available to make the right decision, so if you don't check VAR in that very important moment and with such a clear no penalty, you finish the match a little bit upset because of some mistakes we did, but also for some mistakes by the referee that clearly punished us."
On the win itself, Emery added: "We need to be positive and be excited. We’ve beaten a good opponent.
"From tomorrow, we will try and build on the game ahead of next Thursday.”
