Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lambasted the referee’s decision to overturn a penalty he had originally awarded his side that denied them victory in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
After consulting the VAR at Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, referee Danny Makkelie overturned the penalty he had awarded when Eberechi Eze appeared to have his toe stepped on in the second half, and the game ended 1-1.
Arteta argued that there was clear contact and said the fact the referee had to watch the replay several times before reversing his decision was proof that it should have stood.
“What I’m incredibly fuming about is how the hell the penalty on ‘Ebs’ gets overturned,” Arteta said.
“If you have to watch it 13 times... That’s a goal that can change the course of the season. This cannot happen.”
“I’m extremely disappointed and annoyed because it was against the rules. I don’t understand it, and it changes the course of the tie. I’m very upset.” 😖
Mikel Arteta reacts after the controversial penalty decision.
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Arteta said he accepted the penalty awarded to Atletico after the ball bounced off Ben White’s leg on to his hand, even though it would not have been awarded in the Premier League. Julian Alvarez converted, equalising in the 56th minute.
“The same way we have to accept Ben White’s penalty, Ebs’s is a clear penalty,” he said.
Arteta said he was proud of how his team withstood a raucous atmosphere in Madrid even if he lamented that Arsenal’s task would have been easier in the second leg next Tuesday if the penalty had stood.
“It’s all to play for in London.”
Atletico and Arsenal traded penalties as Alvarez’s second-half spot kick cancelled out Viktor Gyokeres’s first-half spot-kick in a first leg that simmered more than it sizzled.
After Tuesday’s nine-goal thriller between Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich in the first semifinal in France, the Metropolitano was treated to a far more tactical affair, though the home crowd did their best to provide some early theatre by greeting the teams with an avalanche of toilet paper thrown from the stands on to the pitch.
Atletico enjoyed more possession early on but handed Arsenal the lead in the 44th minute when Gyokeres was brought down by David Hancko inside the box. The Sweden striker struck the penalty firmly past Jan Oblak to send Arsenal in ahead at half time.
Atletico equalised after the VAR spotted a Ben White handball inside the box from Marcos Llorente’s shot. Alvarez fired the resulting penalty into the top left corner beyond David Raya.
Antoine Griezmann rattled the crossbar a little later while Arsenal were awarded the late penalty overturned by VAR.
“We gave it a go. We went behind early on from a penalty that I thought was a bit dubious,” Atletico captain Koke told Movistar Plus.
“We had chances to win it but it will all be decided in the second leg. They defend very well and have some very quick players up front.
“We failed to finish off the game with the chances we had. We hope the match in London isn’t our last in the Champions League this season.”
Arsenal, juggling the tie with their Premier League title race against Manchester City, fielded a weakened attack. Bukayo Saka was fit enough only for the bench after his recent return from an Achilles tendon problem and Eze also started among the substitutes after being withdrawn early against Newcastle on Saturday, while Kai Havertz did not travel after picking up an injury in the same match.
Atletico began with bite, pressing high and snapping into challenges as Griezmann and Alvarez led the charge. Alvarez forced Raya into a fine one-handed save in the 14th with a fierce strike from the edge of the box.
Arsenal remained dangerous on the break and gradually grew into the match as Atletico dropped deeper and lost some of their early thrust, gifting Arsenal the opener shortly before half time.
Trying to play out from the back, the hosts surrendered possession and Arsenal reacted sharply through Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard, who looked for Gyokeres in the area. Hancko then brought down the Swede from behind, conceding a penalty that Gyokeres thundered past Oblak.
Diego Simeone’s side responded after the break and nearly levelled three minutes after the restart when Alvarez curled a free kick from the edge of the box just past the right post.
The equaliser arrived in the 56th and led Mikel Arteta to send on Eze for Odegaard immediately afterwards, but Atletico kept pushing. Griezmann struck the crossbar in the 63rd, while Ademola Lookman wasted a big chance in the 74th, turning sharply in the box before shooting weakly at Raya.
Arsenal thought they had won another penalty when referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the spot after Hancko appeared to step on Eze, but he overturned the decision after a VAR review.