Bukayo Saka was involved in a fiery altercation with Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal during Arsenal’s dramatic Champions League quarter-final victory at the Bernabeu. The incident unfolded as players headed to the tunnel at half-time, with Saka and Carvajal exchanging heated words.
Carvajal, who is sidelined due to an ACL injury, reportedly grabbed Saka by the neck, which led to a tense confrontation. According to the Mirror, this sparked a strong reaction from Saka, who pushed Carvajal away. Arsenal defender Ben White quickly stepped in to diffuse the situation, defending his teammate.
The altercation came after Saka had his Panenka penalty saved by Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. While it’s unclear what exactly Carvajal said or did to provoke Saka, some speculate that he might have taunted the Arsenal forward over the failed penalty. “I just can’t believe the selection of penalty here from Bukayo Saka,” said Matthew Upson, BBC Radio Five Live commentator and ex-Arsenal player, who was shocked by the choice.
Despite the penalty miss, Saka later redeemed himself. In the second half, he scored the opening goal of the match with a well-taken finish from a Mikel Merino assist, helping to put Arsenal in a strong position.
Real Madrid responded with a goal from Vinicius Jr., but Arsenal’s defense held firm, denying Madrid any chance of a comeback after their 3-0 first-leg deficit. Gabriel Martinelli sealed Arsenal’s 2-1 win in stoppage time, ensuring a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory over the Spanish giants.
Article updated 6 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
