Key Takeaways
- Mikel Arteta has strongly criticised VAR after Arsenal were denied a late penalty in their 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid.
- Referee Danny Makkelie reversed his original decision after reviewing the incident multiple times on the pitchside monitor.
- The result leaves the Champions League semi-final evenly balanced ahead of next week’s second leg in London.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed furious anger after a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention denied his side a potential match-winning penalty during their Champions League semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid.
The Premier League club travelled to the Metropolitano Stadium for the opening instalment of their European clash. The match finished level at 1-1, leaving everything to play for in the return fixture in north London next Tuesday.
The controversy occurred in the 78th minute. Dutch official Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the spot after Atlético defender David Hancko brought down Arsenal substitute Eberechi Eze with a late challenge inside the box. However, after spending considerable time examining around a dozen replays on the monitor beside the pitch, Makkelie changed his ruling. He determined that the contact was insufficient to warrant a penalty.
Earlier in the match, the referee had awarded two spot-kicks. Arsenal received the first when Hancko fouled Viktor Gyökeres, who subsequently converted the penalty himself. Atlético earned the second when the ball struck Ben White on the arm following a powerful shot from Marcos Llorente. Julián Alvarez stepped up and scored for the Spanish side.
Speaking after the match, Arteta did not hide his frustration. “I am incredibly fuming,” he stated. “How can that decision be overturned? There was no clear and obvious error. This changes the course of the game completely.”
The Spaniard continued his criticism of the review process. “When you must watch the incident thirteen times, that tells you something. At this level of football, these mistakes cannot happen. We have worked for nine months to reach this stage.”
Despite his anger over the officiating, Arteta praised his players for their performance in a difficult environment. “I am very proud of the team,” he said. “Many top sides have collapsed here and conceded multiple goals. We stayed strong. The tie remains in our hands, and we will finish it in front of our supporters.”