Champions League: Penalty of problems for Arsenal in semi-final against Atletico Madrid

Arsenal players applaud their fans following a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the UCL semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Pic/AFP

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta was left raging at the decision to overturn a penalty his team had been awarded in their 1-1 Champions League semi-final first-leg draw at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. With the score tied in the final stages Eberechi Eze went down in the box (78th min) under a challenge from Atletico's David Hancko, who made contact with his foot. Dutch referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the penalty spot but changed his mind after a VAR review to the delight of the Metropolitano stadium.

"What I'm incredibly fuming with is how the hell the penalty on [Eze] gets overturned in the manner that it happened," Arteta told reporters after the match. "This changes the course of the game at this level. I'm sorry but this cannot happen," the Spanish coach added.

Mikel Arteta

Arsenal took the lead in the 44th minute after Hancko fouled Viktor Gyokeres, who scored the resulting penalty. However, Julian Alvarez equalised for Atletico with another spot kick (56th min) after a Ben White handball.

While Arteta lambasted the referee, his opposite number Diego Simeone was grateful for VAR's interventions, but said it would be an ‘extraordinary challenge' to beat the Gunner's at the Emirates Stadium in the second leg next week. "At Arsenal's ground, against a team that has not lost at all in the UCL… it's an extraordinary challenge. But we have huge hope. We'll go there and give it our all," said Simeone.

13
Arsenal's current unbeaten streak in the UCL; their longest since the 2004-05 season

One
No. of times Arsenal have beaten Atletico Madrid in four games across all competitions

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