MADRID — Mikel Arteta pronounced himself “fuming” with the decision to overturn what would have been Arsenal’s second penalty in their blood and thunder 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid. The visitors thought they were on the verge of swinging the tie decisively in their favor when referee Danny Makkiele blew for what appeared to be a foul by David Hancko on Eberechi Eze, 12 minutes from time in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.
However, Makkiele was instructed to review his decision by VAR Dennis Higler and, after rewatching it 13 times, concluded that he would not be awarding the third penalty of what was a remarkable clash at the Metropolitano. Arsenal had taken the lead when Viktor Gyokeres won and converted a penalty after being clattered into by Hancko but that was wiped out when Ben White was adjudged to have handled Marcos Llorente’s shot, Julian Alvarez converting the penalty.
Both of those decisions were contentious, White’s handball the sort that tends only to be adjudged as such in UEFA club competitions, but it was the penalty that wasn’t that most infuriated the Arsenal manager. Discussing Atletico’s penalty first, Arteta reported, “In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty, but here I have to accept that with the rules and obviously how consistent they’ve been. For example, yesterday in Bayern Munich, I accept that this is a handball.
“What I’m incredibly fuming with is how the hell the penalty on Ebz gets overturned in the manner that it happened when there is no clear and obvious error. And this changes the course of the game. And at this level, I’m sorry, but this cannot happen.”
Asked if he had received an explanation for the decision on Eze, Arteta added, “No. A very clear explanation of the decision and what happens for a period of time a referee has to watch it 13 times, what’s more clear than that? It’s impossible and we are all fuming about it.
“When you have fought so hard for nine months to be in this position. I mean, that’s another goal that changed completely over the course of the tie. And it cannot happen. I’m sorry. We put so much on it. So, so, so much on it. This cannot happen.”
His counterpart was no less unhappy at the decisions that went against him with Diego Simeone suggesting Gyokeres had gone looking for contact when Martin Zubimendi flicked the ball his way in the penalty area.
“My humble opinion is that the player [Gyokeres] feels contact on his back and just drops down. This cannot be a penalty,” he reported.
“If it’s a penalty, it has to truly be a penalty. In the other situation, thanks to VAR, it was understood that it wasn’t a penalty. Sometimes VAR gives you something, and sometimes it takes it away.”
Arsenal may not have gotten the penalty that they thought they had earned but they will return to north London as favorites to advance to their first Champions League final in 20 years. Home advantage and the possibility that the likes of Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and even Kai Havertz could play a bigger role certainly sets them up well for the second leg after a turbulent night in the Metropolitano.
“I’m very proud,” reported Arteta. “I reported that to the boys, the way we handled the context for nine and a half months, just remarkable. I really value what they’ve done because I’ve seen some of the best teams in the world here fall apart and concede three and four.
“We didn’t get the result that we wanted, and the way we planned the game, we wanted to win it. At least it is in our hands, in front of our people. We want to be in that final and in a week’s time we are going to have the opportunity to do so.”
