Mikel Arteta is expected to channel the anger from Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid into Tuesday’s return at the Emirates Stadium, after a contentious penalty reversal left the Arsenal manager bitterly frustrated. The Gunners were awarded a penalty in the 78th minute when Eberechi Eze appeared to be caught by David Hancko, only for referee Danny Makkelie to overturn his decision after a VAR review. Uefa’s technical explanation bulletin stated that the Atlético defender “did not commit a foul” on the Arsenal forward.
Arteta had already been vocal about refereeing decisions in recent Premier League matches, insisting Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope should have been sent off for a foul on Viktor Gyökeres, and that Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov should have been dismissed for a last-man challenge on Kai Havertz. The penalty reversal in Madrid, however, has provoked the strongest reaction, with the club feeling that the decision was illogical and casting a shadow over Eze’s integrity.
The match ended 1-1 after Gabriel Gyökeres converted an early penalty for Arsenal and Julián Alvarez equalised from the spot following a handball by Ben White. Atlético coach Diego Simeone later suggested that the first penalty, awarded for a foul on Gyökeres, was soft, saying the striker “waits for the contact, throws himself”. He also appeared to reference Arsenal’s fixture congestion and the pressure of challenging for the Premier League title.
Arteta is said to be in a siege mentality, using perceived slights as encouragement for his squad. The task now is to turn that frustration into a performance capable of breaking down Atlético’s disciplined defence in the second leg, while also addressing a lack of clear chances that has hampered Arsenal in recent European matches.
