MADRID — Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his “incredible fury” over a contentious penalty decision during their Champions League semifinal against Atlético Madrid, stating it was “against the rules” and “altered the course” of the match.
Viktor Gyökeres’ penalty in the 44th minute was soon equalized by Julián Álvarez’s spot kick twelve minutes later, but the Gunners felt wronged when a second penalty was denied after substitute Eberechi Eze was challenged in the box by Atlético defender Dávid Hancko.
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Dutch referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the penalty spot but was summoned to the monitor by VAR official Dennis Higler to reassess his ruling.
After multiple reviews amid protests from Atlético fans and coach Diego Simeone, Makkelie rescinded his original call.
Following a 1-1 draw in Madrid, Arsenal will be optimistic about reaching their first Champions League final in 20 years when they host Atlético in the return leg on Tuesday.
However, Arteta couldn’t hide his disappointment with the officials for preventing his team from securing a notable victory after a strong performance.
“What really frustrates me is how the penalty on Ebs [Eze] was overturned in that manner when there was no clear and obvious error,” he stated. “This completely changes the game’s outcome. At this level, such things must not happen.
“It was against the rules, and I can’t fathom it. There was clear contact. He made the call; you can’t overturn it after watching it 13 times.
“After fighting so hard for nine months to get to this point, that’s another goal that heavily impacted the tie. It simply shouldn’t happen. We invested so much into this. This must not occur.”
Gyökeres went down after a challenge from Hancko, while Ben White was penalized for handball when the ball deflected onto his arm.
“Regarding the first penalty, it appeared to me the player anticipated the contact from behind; in a Champions League semifinal, it should really be a penalty,” Simeone commented.
“The handball was awarded through VAR, yet the second penalty was denied, also thanks to VAR. Sometimes VAR benefits you, and other times it takes away.”