Mikel Arteta called Arsenal’s overturned penalty against Atletico Madrid “completely unacceptable” after the Champions League semi-final first leg ended 1-1.
Mikel Arteta said Arsenal were “all fuming” after Eberechi Eze’s penalty was overturned during their 1-1 Champions League semi-final first-leg draw against Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal had already seen Viktor Gyokeres score from the spot in the first half before Atletico levelled after the break through a Julian Alvarez penalty. Arteta accepted the handball decision against Ben White under UEFA’s interpretation of the rules, but was far less understanding of the decision to deny Arsenal another penalty when Eze went down under a challenge inside the box.
Referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the spot, only for the decision to be overturned after a long VAR check.
“What I’m incredibly fuming with is how the hell the penalty on Ebs gets overturned in the manner that happened when it’s not actually an obvious error,” Arteta said. “This changes the course of the game and at this level, I’m sorry, but this cannot happen.”
Arteta’s frustration centred on the length of the review and the threshold required to overturn an on-field decision. Asked whether he had received an explanation, he said the process itself showed why Arsenal felt aggrieved.
“The decision and then what happens for a period of time and the referee has to watch it 13 times. It’s more clear than that. I think it’s impossible and we are all fuming about it.”
The Arsenal manager rejected the suggestion that Atletico’s bench or the home crowd had influenced the decision, instead arguing that the laws needed to be applied consistently.
“I’m saying that they apply the rules on Ben White’s penalty, that is difficult to accept, but it is a penalty with the handball,” Arteta said. “What they say at the beginning of the season, Ebs is a clear and very obvious penalty. That’s it.”
Arteta also said he would leave any possible complaint to UEFA to the club, but accepted the decision itself could not now be changed.
“I leave that to the club to decide what the best thing to do,” he said. “Now they’re not going to give us the penalty. That’s gone. And that’s it. Let’s talk about football.”
Despite the anger, Arteta insisted Arsenal remain in control of the tie before next week’s second leg at the Emirates.
“We didn’t get the result that we wanted and the way we planned the game, we wanted to win it,” he said. “But at least it is in our hands in front of our people to be in that final.”