Declan Rice has reaffirmed Mikel Arteta’s outrage regarding the penalty situation, stating that Arsenal deserved a “clear” penalty and suggested that the referee was influenced to alter his decision by the intense atmosphere created by Atlético Madrid‘s boisterous supporters.
Arteta was incensed following his team’s 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal in Madrid, particularly after referee Danny Makkelie reversed his initial decision to award a penalty for a foul on Eberechi Eze.
Under the scrutinizing gaze of Diego Simeone and amidst the cacophony of 70,000 Atleti supporters, Makkelie reviewed the incident 13 times before changing his on-field call.
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Commenting on the contentious moment, Rice stated: “It’s a clear penalty. I’m baffled that it wasn’t given.”
“I believe the fans influenced the decision and swayed the referee’s opinion.”
“UEFA is a whole different ballgame compared to the Premier League. You need to be cautious in both boxes because referees are very rigorous in their judgments.”
Arsenal faced two VAR interventions that did not go their way, particularly after Ben White was deemed to have handled a volley from Marcos Llorente, leading to a penalty converted by Julián Álvarez that equalized following Viktor Gyökeres‘ opening penalty.
Speaking on the incident, Rice expressed that White was hard done by.
“Initially, I thought that in the Premier League, this wouldn’t have been given as it was so low to the ground and the ball wasn’t heading towards the goal.”
“In the Champions League, referees are quick to make decisions and blow for fouls, and that’s something you have to accept. It seems that in European competitions, decisions go against you more often. But we need to move forward to the next match and aim to win.”
Despite the unfortunate outcome, Arsenal is hopeful that playing at home next Tuesday will help them reach their first Champions League final since 2006.
Bukayo Saka, who is working his way back from an Achilles injury and came on as a substitute in the second half, urged Arsenal fans to “give even more” in the second leg to assist the team in their pursuit of a place in the Budapest final on May 30.
Following the draw, Arsenal equaled a club record of 13 undefeated matches in the Champions League. Saka mentioned, “We have mixed feelings since we wanted to secure a win.”
“However, we’ll take the draw as it’s just halftime, and we feel very confident heading back to the Emirates.”
“I’m certain the atmosphere will exceed what we experienced tonight, which will undoubtedly give us a boost.”
Before the crucial second leg, Arsenal faces another significant match at home against Fulham on Saturday.
The Gunners could increase their lead at the Premier League summit over Manchester City from three points to six, having played two more games than their rivals, as Pep Guardiola’s team is set to face Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday.