Atletico Madrid and Arsenal will resume hostilities for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on level terms after an intense first meeting at the Metropolitano finished 1-1.
The opener came courtesy of Viktor Gyokeres, who won and scored a penalty in the closing minutes of the first half to send Arsenal ahead in the tie. But Julian Alvarez levelled from a spot kick of his own after Ben White was punished for handball.
Then Arsenal thought they had been awarded a second penalty when Eberechi Eze went down in the box but the decision was reversed following a lengthy VAR check.
Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, was left “fuming” after the decision to disallow the penalty supposedly won by Eze and lambasted the incident as “against the rules” before adding that it “changes the course of the tie”. The two teams face each other again on Tuesday next week for the second leg.
Relive the updates with our live blog below:
The key decisions in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid
41st minute – Viktor Gyokeres wins penalty
Arsenal had started the match in confident fashion despite David Raya being tasked with stopping a sharp effort from Julian Alvarez. At the other end of the pitch Martin Zubimendi slipped a threaded pass into the box to Viktor Gyokeres who leaned away from David Hancko and went to ground after contact from the central defender.
Referee Makkelie blew the whistle and pointed to the penalty spot as the protestations begin from the Atletico Madrid players and supporters. VAR checked the incident but decided to stick with the on-field decision and Gyokeres drove the resultant spot kick into the bottom left corner.
Mikel Arteta ‘incredibly fuming’ at overturned penalty decision in Arsenal draw
A furious Mikel Arteta said he was “incredibly fuming” with VAR’s decision to overturn a late Arsenal penalty in his side’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid.
Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez both scored from the spot before Dutch referee Danny Makkelie awarded Arsenal a third penalty of the night after Eberechi Eze was sent tumbling by David Hancko’s outstretched right leg with 10 minutes of the semi-final first leg remaining.
However, VAR intervened before Makkelie controversially overturned his own decision.
Arteta’s plan pre-Fulham
“Make sure they eat, sleep and get a lot of love to make sure they are in the best position,” he told TNT Sports.
Gyokeres looks ahead to home advantage
“We know when we play at home with our fans it will be different for sure and we just have to do our job, be at our best. For sure it’s going to be a good game,” the Arsenal goalscorer told TNT Sports.
Atletico must raise level
It feels like the big question in this semi-final is whether Atletico can raise it again, in much more testing circumstances.
Arsenal still actually have a job to do, after an awkward Saturday home match against Fulham. The time is quickly coming for debates to end and everything to become clear.
Koke reflections
“We gave it our best shot,” the Atletico captain told Movistar. “We started off on the back foot. We had chances to win but it will all come down to the second leg. They defend very well and have some very fast players up front.”
Llorente wants to focus on second half
Marcos Llorente on whether the tie is still wide open, to Movistar: “Absolutely. They dominated the first half, and we dominated the second. We need to build on that second half.”
His reaction to how the match unfolded: “We struggled to win the ball back and were rushing things in the final third. That comes back to haunt you because we don’t create that many chances, and we failed to capitalise on the ones we had. We improved in the second half, and that’s what we’ll take away from this.”
Griezmann reacts
“We played better in the second half,” the player of the match said. “We also played with more intensity. That’s the way to go, and that’s what we’ll do in the second leg – it’ll be a great game.
“We want to reach the final. I’ve prepared a lot for this match and the one in London, and hopefully we can make it to the final.”
Will Arsenal feel pressure?
“Arsenal have the possibility of winning the Champions League – which they’ve never done before – and they have the possibility of winning the Premier League,” Chris Sutton told BBC radio.
“The fact that it’s 1-1 now and they go back to the Emirates where it’ll be raucous before kick off but there will be the same nervousness because of what’s at stake.
“It’s a huge game and the expectation will be on Arsenal to win because they’re playing Atleti at home, a side they’ve already beaten 4-0 in the Champions League this season. That will bring its own pressures.
“This isn’t a free-scoring Arsenal team, and Atleti showed that they are a very capable team in the second half this evening.”
