For the second Champions League night in a row, Kenny Cunningham had the Premier Sports studio in disbelief after Arsenal's 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening.
It was Atleti's first-ever semi-final in their Metropolitano stadium, while Arsenal were seeking atonement for their defeat to PSG at this stage last year.
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On the stroke of half-time, they took the lead in emphatic fashion through their under-fire striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres started in Madrid, having scored just once in his previous five appearances. When he was clattered over by David Hancko in the Atleti area, the Swede was entrusted with the spot kick.
He ruthlessly dispatched the penalty, rifling the ball into the corner past Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal.
Viktor Gyokeres converts from the spot to put Arsenal ahead ⚽
Watch live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/xBytKfRKEH
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 29, 2026
To most viewers, it was a brilliantly clinical penalty by the Arsenal striker. But not to Kenny Cunningham.
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Shay Given v Kenny Cunningham
Having caused disbelief with his scathing take on PSG's 5-4 win over Bayern, Kenny Cunningham had Shay Given in similar disarray in the Premier Sports studio.
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Should Jan Oblak have saved Gyokeres' penalty? @No1shaygiven was doing his best to remain patient with Kenny Cunningham's goalkeeping analysis 🧤
"Why are you stabbing yourself with the pen?" 😂 pic.twitter.com/5TZR21LZcj
— Premier Sports Ireland (@PremSportsIRL) April 29, 2026
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Cunningham claimed Oblak should have saved Gyokeres' penalty, a claim which Given would push back against.
Cunningham: "I think he's got to get some kind of contact, at that...two foot off the ground, that's the ideal height, isn't it? In terms of goalkeepers making contact."
Given: "It depends who's hitting it. I think the pace is just ridiculous, I don't think you're taking that into consideration. I've been in that situation myself and sometimes the ball's gone underneath me. When it's going that fast, you can't actually react. You've gone the right way."
Cunningham: "Underneath you I understand but in terms of that height, when you're throwing yourself across...I'm not saying it's an easy save, but I'm surprised he hasn't got anything on it at all."
At this point, Given was visibly frustrated, with the former Ireland goalkeeper silently tapping his pen against his hand as he held his tongue.
The attempts of host Eoin McDevitt to intervene only further fuelled the disagreement.
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McDevitt: "You're being patient with Kenny.
Given: "I am being patient with Kenny, I'm trying to..."
Cunningham: "Why are you stabbing youself with the pen?"
Given: "Just punishing myself here. This is my way of dealing with Kenny's nonsense when it comes to this, just tap myself with the pen!"
Eventually, the pair would laugh off the disagreement, with Given jokingly holding his pen up in a zen manner as he inhaled deeply.
A penny for the thoughts of John O'Shea sat between his two former international teammates.
Ironically, Atletico Madrid's equaliser also came through a rifled penalty; this time, there was a genuine argument that the goalkeeper could have done better, with David Raya rooted square to his line as Julian Alvarez hammered home to level.
Atlético de Madrid are level 💪
Julián Alvarez slots home a penalty to cancel out Viktor Gyökeres' spot kick in the first half 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PH52XT91zT
— Premier Sports Ireland (@PremSportsIRL) April 29, 2026
Not quite the riveting drama of Paris on Tuesday night, but it's all to play for in the second leg between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid at the Emirates next Tuesday.
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