Atletico Madrid issued instant explanation over two penalties after Arsenal heartbreak

Former Champions League referee Mark Clattenburg has shed light on why Atletico Madrid were denied a penalty against Arsenal . During the second half, the Emirates Stadium crowd held their breath when Riccardo Calafiori appeared to bring down Antoine Griezmann inside the box. The Italian made contact with the Frenchman's calf and many anticipated Diego Simeone's team would be awarded an opportunity to level from 12-yards. A VAR review took place but no penalty was awarded. It was a huge moment, as the Gunners were able to hold onto their 1-0 lead and reach their first Champions League final since 2006 . Before they did, Clattenburg revealed the decision stood because Atletico full-back Marc Pubill had fouled Gabriel Magalhaes moments before Calafiori's challenge. Speaking on Amazon Prime, the English former official said: "I think what the VAR has looked at is Calafiori's challenge on Grizemann. He believes that's a penalty kick, and replays show it was, but there was a foul just before on Gabriel. FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page "So they had to check the foul first and he agrees with the referee's analysis of a foul. Therefore, the foul outweighs the penalty kick." It marked the second occasion during the match that VAR briefly examined a possible Atletico spot-kick. Shortly before that incident, Gabriel had tangled with Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area. However, the same verdict of no penalty was given, with former Premier League forward Alan Shearer explaining that the level of contact didn't warrant a spot-kick Earlier in the match, Arsenal also believed they might have been awarded a spot-kick when Griezmann appeared to push Leandro Trossard in the back. Neither referee Daniel Siebert, his assistants nor the VAR deemed there was sufficient contact to justify an Arsenal penalty. At the point of the second penalty appeal involving Calafiori, Arsenal were holding off multiple Atletico attacks. They were still protecting their first-half advantage, which had been built through Saka finding the net from close range. The Gunners' star boy displayed the instincts of a striker when he reacted to Jan Oblak parrying Viktor Gyokeres' low effort by seizing the rebound and slotting it into the back of the net. It proved to be enough as Arteta's side managed to close out a monumental 1-0 victory to book their place in the final in Budapest. Arsenal will face one of current holders Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final on May 30. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.