Arsenal players were incensed following the denial of a second-half penalty against Atletico Madrid in their Champions League semi-final first leg. While Atletico managed to equalize during the period, a contentious moment arose when the referee reversed his initial decision to award a penalty for a perceived foul on Eberechi Eze after a VAR review.
Manager Mikel Arteta was reportedly “very angry” about the decision not to award the spot-kick. Conversely, Atletico’s players were unified in their belief that the referee had made the correct call. Diego Simeone chose to redirect attention to Arsenal’s first penalty, deeming it insufficient grounds for a penalty. Meanwhile, Declan Rice suggested that the atmosphere at the Metropolitano stadium influenced the VAR officials in Switzerland.
Defender Piero Hincapie, while not dwelling on the stadium’s influence, unequivocally stated that the referee’s decision was a clear error.
“It’s a bit… The penalty they didn’t give, it was very clear. And that’s it, positive result,” Hincapie told Movistar+, expressing evident frustration. “Yes, clearly the referee made a mistake. It was a very clear penalty, but we continue, and we hope they go our way on other occasions.”
Forward Viktor Gyokeres also spoke to the media, telling TNT Sports that while the team performed well in the first half, they lost control in the second. He also expressed mild irritation about the decision not to award Eze a penalty.
“I didn’t see theirs, so difficult to say, but yeah, it’s football. I don’t know why they turned [Eze’s appeal] down, it looks like there’s contact, but it’s their decision.”
Regarding Arsenal’s response to Atletico Madrid’s strong start in the second half, Gyokeres anticipates a different dynamic in the return leg at the Emirates.
“Yeah, it was not very easy. Of course, they have the crowd here. We always try to play and get the momentum back that we had in the first half, and got it back a bit late on, but it’s a tough second half. We know it will be different with our fans in the second leg, and we know we have to do our job, be at our best, and it’s going to be a good game at home.”
The second leg is scheduled to kick off at 21:00 CEST in London next Tuesday. Atletico Madrid is aiming for their fourth final appearance, while both clubs are striving for their inaugural victory in the competition.
