Viktor Gyokeres scored from the spot before Ben White was adjudged to have handled a shot to make it 1-1 and VAR denied Eberechi Eze a second.
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A shot from Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente hits the hand of Arsenal’s Ben White (Adam Davy/PA)open image in gallery
A shot from Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente hits the hand of Arsenal’s Ben White (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
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Arsenal’s bid to reach their first Champions League final in 20 years hangs in the balance after a controversial 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in Spain.
Viktor Gyokeres fired Arsenal into the lead with a penalty after he was fouled by David Hancko in the area in the last minute of the first half.
However, Julian Alvarez also scored from the spot when Marcos Llorente’s volley struck Ben White’s hand following a VAR review with 56 minutes gone.
After Antoine Griezmann struck the crossbar, Arsenal were then denied a chance to restore their lead when referee Danny Makkelie overturned his on-pitch decision to award the visitors another penalty when Eberechi Eze was sent tumbling by Hancko’s outstretched right leg.
Makkelie watched at least a dozen replays before electing to chalk off the spot-kick which, if converted, would have handed Arsenal a significant advantage ahead of next week’s return leg at the Emirates Stadium.
However, Mikel Arteta’s men will still be hopeful of seeing off Atleti to secure their place in the final in Budapest on May 30. The Gunners will now turn their attention back to fending off Manchester City’s challenge to secure a first Premier League title in 22 years with a home match against Fulham on Saturday.
Arsenal had the first sight of goal when Noni Madueke did well to get to the byline before finding Piero Hincapie at the far post, but the defender miscued his volley.
Alvarez called David Raya into action after 14 minutes with a fine effort from outside the penalty area. And moments later, Gyokeres’ lung-busting gallop along the left-hand touchline and pass to Martin Odegaard presented the Arsenal captain with a chance to open the scoring, but Johnny Cardoso blocked his strike.
Arsenal were beginning to take charge, and with two minutes of the first half left they were awarded a penalty.
Alvarez headed the ball straight to Martin Zubimendi, who played a neat one-two with Odegaard and then released Gyokeres. Hancko was the wrong side of Gyokeres, and, in his haste to stop the Arsenal man, sent him over in the area.
Dutch official Makkelie pointed to the spot, and despite Diego Simeone’s protests on the touchline, VAR, on this occasion at least, did not intervene.
Gyokeres stepped up, and although Jan Oblak guessed the right way, he had no answer to the power of the Sweden international’s strike.
Atleti started the second half with intent and just four minutes had passed when Alvarez’s wicked free-kick found the side-netting. Alvarez then played in Ademola Lookman who could not find a way past Raya before Gabriel blocked Griezmann’s follow-up.
When Llorente’s wayward volley from just inside the area struck White’s left hand, a typically animated Simeone, backed by 70,000 Atleti fans, demanded a spot-kick.
Referee Makkelie was originally unmoved but was urged by VAR to check his pitchside monitor and he reversed his decision.
Alvarez blasted home and Arsenal were on the ropes. Just after the hour, Griezmann’s looped strike cannoned off the frame of Raya’s goal.
A triple substitution by Arteta – including the introduction of Bukayo Saka – followed as he attempted to wrest back control.
Arsenal managed to weather Atleti’s second-half storm and were celebrating a second penalty of the night when Eze fell to the floor. But VAR had other ideas to leave the last-four tie delicately poised.