'F*ck me backwards!' - Martin Keown ripped apart for 'biased' commentary of key incident during Arsenal's Champions League draw with Bayer Leverkusen

Keown was adamant that the referee made the correct call at the BayArena. Speaking during the broadcast on TNT Sports, the former defender insisted: "For me it was a penalty. You had to see it from different angles first but for me, that left foot definitely gets trapped in from the torso of (Tillman). There's no doubt about that." He then added: "What I will say is that VAR won't go against that if there's any kind of contact. And we can see there that there was contact."

The pundit's perceived lack of objectivity did not sit well with former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan, who took to social media to deliver a scathing assessment of the Arsenal icon. Jordan wrote on X: "Oh dear Martin FFS. Did I say that old Keown lacks objectivity? F**k me backwards, he is the grand fromage of bias."

Gabby Agbonlahor was equally unimpressed, labelling the incident a "blatant dive" and questioning how VAR failed to intervene. Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Aston Villa striker said: "Madueke dived. Blatant dive. Mr Bias, Martin Keown, doing the game last night said it was a definite penalty. It's getting a bit silly now his bias towards Arsenal. I'm just surprised VAR didn't overturn it. Arsenal were very lucky and boring to watch."

The frustration was felt just as keenly in the German dugout, as Kasper Hjulmand blasted the controversial late penalty after the final whistle. The Leverkusen head coach felt his side had done enough to secure the win before the 89th-minute intervention. "I have mixed feelings," he explained. "It was a very good performance against a top team – of course we are disappointed with the last scene. A 1-0 would obviously have been much better than a 1-1. I don't see a penalty there, but that's how it is."

For the man at the heart of the storm, there were no second thoughts about the legitimacy of the fall. Speaking after the game, Madueke said: "I always think I can make an impact, whether I start the game or I'm on the bench. My instinct told me to go into the box when I picked up the ball, so I just went."

With the aggregate score locked at 1-1, all eyes now turn to the return fixture in north London next Tuesday. Hjulmand believes the psychological burden has now shifted entirely onto Arsenal, who will be expected to dominate in front of their home support. The Leverkusen boss is confident his side can deliver another strong performance, though he will first have to navigate a domestic clash against Bayern Munich before returning to the English capital for the decider. For Arteta, the focus remains on finishing the job at the Emirates Stadium, where his side has been formidable throughout the current campaign.