Key Takeaways
- Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash in Spain
- Mikel Arteta slammed the decision to overturn a late penalty awarded to Eberechi Eze, calling it “completely unacceptable”
- The second leg will take place at the Emirates Stadium next Tuesday, with the tie evenly balanced
Mikel Arteta has strongly criticised the video assistant referee system after Arsenal were denied a crucial late penalty during their 1-1 stalemate against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
The Gunners looked set to secure a vital advantage in Madrid when substitute Eberechi Eze was brought down inside the penalty area by David Hancko with just twelve minutes remaining. Dutch referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the spot after spotting contact between the players’ feet.
However, the official reversed his decision following a lengthy VAR review. He spent several minutes studying the incident on the pitch-side monitor before ruling that no foul had occurred. The match finished level, leaving everything to play for in next week’s return fixture in North London.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the final whistle, a visibly angered Arteta did not hide his frustration. “I have reviewed the footage back in the dressing room,” the Arsenal manager stated. “The decision is extremely disappointing. There was clear contact. When you need to watch an incident thirteen times, you cannot change your original call. It is completely unacceptable at this level of football.”
The Spanish coach believes the ruling could prove decisive in the tie. “This changes the course of the tie,” he added. “I am very upset because the decision went against the rules.”
When asked whether the club would lodge a formal complaint with UEFA, Arteta remained non-committal. “That is for the club to decide,” he replied. “They will not give us the penalty now. That opportunity has gone.”
The encounter featured three separate penalty incidents. Arsenal took the lead before the interval when Viktor Gyokeres converted from twelve yards after Hancko had pushed him to the ground inside the box.
The hosts drew level after the break through Julian Alvarez. The Argentine scored from the spot after VAR identified a handball by Ben White following a strike from Marcos Llorente. The ball had struck White’s knee before touching his arm, but the officials deemed it worthy of a penalty.
Arteta acknowledged that European competitions interpret handball differently from domestic English football. “They have been consistent with that interpretation,” he admitted. “If you are going to award penalties for that type of incident, then you must accept it.”
The decision followed another controversial handball ruling in the other semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, where Alphonso Davies was penalised.
Sky Sports analyst Jamie Carragher took to social media to demand clarity from UEFA regarding handball regulations. “The Champions League delivers the finest football in the world, but these handball penalties are damaging the competition,” Carragher wrote. “Last night’s decision was even worse, but White should not have been penalised either.”
Despite his anger at the officials, Arteta praised his players for their resilience. “I told the boys I am very proud of them,” he said. “To handle this situation for nine and a half months has been remarkable. I have watched the best teams in the world come here and collapse, conceding three or four goals. We did not fall apart.”
The result leaves the tie perfectly balanced ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium. “We wanted to win here, and we did not get that result,” Arteta concluded. “But the advantage is now in our hands. We will have our supporters behind us. We want to reach the final, and next week we have the chance to make that happen.”