Mikel Arteta has admitted it would have been a very different game had Ben White scored and put Arsenal 2-0 ahead.
The Gunners were held to a 2-2 draw at The Emirates by Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter final.
Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead before Serge Gnabry levelled the scores against his former club and Harry Kane’s penalty on his return to north London had given the Germans the lead.
It would have been a different game if Ben White scored
Having started the match so well with an early goal from Saka the Gunners had the chance to go two goals up when White was through one on one with Manuel Neuer but the defender hit it straight at the goalkeeper.
As is so often the case at the highest level Arsenal were made to rue that missed opportunity and just two minutes later Gnabry scored the equaliser.
The Gunners managed to fight back and got an equaliser in second half through Leandro Trossard and had shouts for a penalty turned down at the end as Saka went through on goal.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game Arteta didn’t elaborate much on the penalty incident.
“They said they checked it and decided it was not a penalty.”
The Spaniard felt his side started the game well but was clear on what he felt the big moment of the game was.
“We started really well, we were dominant, didn’t concede anything”, he added.
“We scored a really good goal and after that is the moment of the game when Ben [White] is in front of [Manuel] Neuer and if it was 2-0 it would have been a very different game.
“They scored and it created some uncertainty, the second goal was unusual for us to concede but it is the Champions League, you make a mistake and get punished.”
The tie is delicately poised ahead of the return leg in Munich on the 17th April with a semi final against Manchester City or Real Madrid on offer for the winners.
Ben White initiated the contact. He should have at least been booked. As the offence was to unlawfully gain a goal scoring opportunity he should have seen red.