Arsenal Fans Furious as Antonio Rudiger Escapes Red Card After Controversial Stamp on Lewis-Skelly
Despite Arsenal knocking out Real Madrid, supporters were left outraged after Rudiger avoided punishment for what looked like a painful stamp on young midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Arsenal might have celebrated reaching the Champions League semi-finals after defeating Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate but fans was not happy with how some key moments were handled during the tough second leg in Spain.
One of the most controversial moments came when Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger appeared to stamp on Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly. The two were chasing a loose ball when Lewis-Skelly fell to the ground. Rudiger’s foot then landed directly on the groin area of the 17-year-old leaving him in obvious pain.
This Rudiger do this on purpose?
pic.twitter.com/h96G9c8FG9
— The Screenshot Lad (@thescreenlad) April 16, 2025
While some believed the contact was accidental many Arsenal fans were convinced it was done on purpose. What upset supporters even more was the fact that Rudiger was not even shown a yellow card let alone a red.
One angry fan wrote on social media:
“How Rudiger didn’t get a card for his stamp on MLS is beyond me.”
Another added:
“Rudiger can punch and then stamp on Lewis-Skelly and the ref waves play on…”
Many fans felt the incident should has been reviewed by VAR and the lack of action from the officials sparked outrage. Some claimed that if the roles were reversed an Arsenal player would has likely been sent off.
That moment was just one of several controversial incidents on a dramatic night at the Santiago Bernabéu. Arsenal were given a penalty in the first half, only for Bukayo Saka to miss his chance to make it 4-0 on aggregate.
Shortly after Real Madrid thought they had won a penalty of their own when Kylian Mbappe went down under a challenge from Declan Rice. The referee initially gave it and booked Rice but after a long VAR check both the penalty and the yellow card were overturned—another decision that drew mixed reactions from fans.
And if that was not enough drama Bukayo Saka and Dani Carvajal were involved in a heated bust-up as the teams walked down the tunnel at halftime. The Madrid defender grabbed Saka by the neck causing tempers to flare.
Despite all the drama Arsenal held their nerve. Saka scored the opener before Gabriel Martinelli sealed the win with another goal making it 2-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate. Real Madrid did manage one goal through Vinicius Jr after a mistake by William Saliba but it wasn’t enough to save their Champions League hopes.
Arsenal will now face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, after the French side defeated Aston Villa.
