Martin Keown has said he felt the referee "buckled under the pressure" when deciding to overturn his decision to award a penalty to Arsenal in their 1-1 Champions League semifinal first-leg draw with Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, with Steve McManaman describing Diego Simeone's touchline antics during the incident as "atrocious."
In a closely-fought contest at the Metropolitano, a penalty from Viktor Gyökeres and one in reply from Julián Álvarez had both teams level heading into the closing stages before a challenge from Dávid Hancko -- who also gave away the first penalty -- on Eberechi Eze prompted referee Danny Makkelie to point to the spot for a third time in the 78th minute.
However, following a lengthy conversation with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Makkelie went to the screen and controversially opted to overturn his decision.
As well as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, the officials' decision frustrated TNT Sports pundits Keown, McManaman and Steven Gerrard.
"I simply don't think it was clear and obvious. And the referee there should be allowed to referee the game," Arsenal legend Keown said. "VAR's got too involved and that's not what we wanted with VAR. It's not part of the protocol really for me.
" [Diego] Simeone, though, his actions to the sideline and I mean the drama that he creates and the scenes around it, the referee in the end, I felt, buckled under the pressure, he went to the screen and didn't stand by his decision. I don't even think he should have been made to go to the screen."
Gerrard described the call as "really harsh" on Arsenal.
"I have to agree. I don't think it was clear enough, obvious mistake from the referee. I'm surprised he got sent to the screen in the first place," he said.
"When you'd actually look at the incidents, it would have been a soft penalty. I think there was a minimal contact. I think the defender's just trying to plant his leg. But I think it's really harsh on Arsenal to overturn that because it's not clear and obvious mistake from the referee."
McMananaman, who won two Champions League titles with Real Madrid as a player, echoed Keown's frustrations with VAR and had some choice words for Atlético boss Simeone, who is renowned for his exuberant behaviour in the technical area on big European nights such as these.
"We're talking about VAR again. I mean, I absolutely hate it. Hate, hate, hate it. It spoils the game," McManaman said.
"I thought the behavior ... I have to echo Martin. I thought the behavior of Diego Simeone and his assistance when the referee was trying to come over to look at the monitor was atrocious. The constant haranguing of the fourth official.
"Once he gives it and there's contact, it's not a clear and obvious and he shouldn't go back and re-ref it again. So it baffles me, but I thought he had an awful game and I thought the VAR man who's sitting somewhere quietly out the way, no one has a clue."
McManaman later added: "Like the first one with Hancko, the first one at Gyökeres when Arsenal scores, that was very clumsy. He's done exactly the same thing there. And I guarantee if that was in the opposite box, Simeone would be going apoplectic for the penalty. And his behavior, honestly, it's awful. Absolutely awful."
Jamie Carragher was frustrated by the handball decision which went against Arsenal earlier in the half and gave Álvarez the chance to level from the spot. The incident bore a striking resemblance to the one that saw Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies punished for handball during their madcap 5-4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the other semifinal on Tuesday.
"The Champions League is the best football by a mile, but these penalty decisions for handball really are a stain on the competition. Last nights was worse but that should not be a penalty against White," he said in a post on X.
