Arsenal and Atletico Madrid played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night. The result leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the second leg, following a match defined by penalty decisions and VAR intervention.
Viktor Gyokeres gave the Premier League leaders the lead from the penalty spot just before the halftime whistle. According to Al Jazeera, the Swedish striker was fouled by David Hancko in the area after exchanging passes with Martin Zubimendi.
Atletico Madrid responded ten minutes into the second half when Julian Alvarez converted a penalty of his own. France24 reported that the equalizer came after a handball by Arsenal defender Ben White.
VAR controversy leaves Arsenal frustrated
A late opportunity for Arsenal to take the advantage was erased following a video review. The Gunners believed Eberechi Eze had been fouled by Hancko in the area, but the on-field decision was overturned after a VAR check.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed significant frustration with the officiating process. Speaking to TNT Sports, as cited by Al Jazeera, Arteta criticized the length of the review process.
“I’m extremely disappointed and annoyed,” Arteta said. “It is against the rules. You can’t overturn that decision when you have to look at it 13 times. That cannot happen at this level.”
While Atletico Madrid controlled long periods of the match, Arsenal's defense remained largely resilient. Al Jazeera noted that goalkeeper David Raya made a crucial save to tip an Alvarez shot around the post during the early stages of the game.
Atletico captain Koke offered a more measured assessment of the performance. Speaking on Movistar, Koke suggested his side had the better of the second-half display.
“From my point of view they didn’t create much danger against us,” Koke said, according to Al Jazeera. “The team defended well and they just had that penalty.”
The match was played at the Metropolitano stadium, where Al Jazeera reported that toilet paper was thrown from the stands minutes before kickoff.
Arsenal entered the match with several players sidelined, including Bukayo Saka, who was only fit enough for the bench. Noni Maduek, starting on the right flank, saw a long-range effort go just wide, according to Al Jazeera.
