Mikel Arteta expressed fierce disappointment after the referee reversed a penalty awarded to Arsenal's substitute Eberechi Eze during the first leg of the Champions League semi‑final against Atletico Madrid. The Gunners were held to a 1‑1 draw, a result Arteta described as "completely unacceptable" because the decision altered the trajectory of the tie. The incident occurred in the 78th minute when Eze dropped to the ground inside the box after a challenge from Atletico defender David Hancko. The contact appeared to be a clear foot‑on‑foot clash, and Arsenal seemed poised to regain the lead through a spot‑kick.
However, the VAR system intervened, prompting referee Danny Makkelie to consult the video screen. After reviewing several angles, Makkelie rescinded the penalty he had originally signalled, allowing the match to finish level. The reversal came just before the second leg at the Emirates Stadium, leaving Arsenal and their supporters feeling aggrieved. Speaking to TNT Sports immediately after the game, Arteta delivered a scathing assessment of the decision.
"After returning to the dressing room, talking to the lads and re‑watching the penalty incident, it was extremely disappointing and frustrating because it contravenes the rules and changes the course of the tie," he said. "I'm very, very upset." He continued, "The whole sequence shows clear contact.
You make a decision on the pitch; you cannot overturn it after watching it thirteen times. It's completely unacceptable at this level. It's the wrong decision." Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice echoed Arteta's frustration, insisting that the penalty should have stood and suggesting that the crowd's reaction may have influenced the referee. "It's a clear penalty, and I don't understand why it wasn't given," Rice said.
"I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the referee's mind. UEFA operates differently from the Premier League; both officials have to be extremely careful because they give everything." The controversy was further highlighted by UEFA's brief statement on its website, which claimed that Atletico player No 17 did not commit a foul on the opponent. The governing body declined to elaborate on the decision‑making process when Sky Sports News sought clarification. UEFA's policy on VAR, introduced to correct "clear and obvious" errors, stipulates that the VAR team will review all match‑changing situations but intervene only when a mistake is evident.
In this case, the referee's reversal after multiple viewings raised questions about the consistency of that standard. When asked in the post‑match press conference whether Arsenal would lodge a formal protest, Arteta replied, "I leave that to the club to decide what's the best thing to do. Now they're not going to give us a penalty. That's it.
That's gone." The match itself featured three penalty incidents. Arsenal took the lead at halftime through a spot‑kick converted by Viktor Gyökeres after a foul on the striker by Hancko, who again was involved in the earlier challenge on Eze. Atletico equalised after the break when Julian Álvarez was awarded a penalty following a VAR‑review that identified a handball by Ben White after Marcos Llorente's shot.
Although the ball struck White's knee before his hand, the referee deemed it a handball and pointed to the spot. Arteta acknowledged that the interpretation of handball in the Champions League differs from that in the Premier League, noting, "They have been consistent with that. If you are going to give a penalty for this kind of thing you have to accept it." The handball decision against White came amid another contentious call in the other semi‑final, where Alphonso Davies was penalised for a handball in Paris Saint‑Germain's victory over Bayern Munich. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher criticised UEFA for the lack of clarity around handball rules, stating, "The Champions League is the best football by a mile, but these penalty decisions for handball really are a stain on the competition.
Last night's was worse but that should not be a penalty against White." Reflecting on Arsenal's overall performance in Madrid, Arteta praised his squad's resilience. "I'm very proud," he told the players, "the way we handled the context for nine-and-a‑half months has been remarkable. I really value what they've done because I've seen some of the best teams in the world here fall apart and concede three or four." He admitted the result was not what the team wanted, but emphasized the importance of controlling their own destiny. "We didn't get the result that we wanted, and the way we planned the game, we wanted to win it.
At least it is in our hands, in front of our people. We want to be in that final, and in a week's time we will have the opportunity to do so." The controversy surrounding the VAR intervention highlights ongoing debates about technology's role in football, the consistency of officiating standards across competitions, and the impact of crowd influence on referees. As Arsenal prepare for the return leg at the Emirates, the club and its supporters will be keen to see whether the team can overcome the setback and secure a place in the Champions League final. The episode also underscores the broader conversation within UEFA about refining handball definitions and ensuring that VAR is used to enhance fairness rather than create additional confusion.
With the semi‑finals drawing to a close, the pressure remains high for both Arsenal and Atletico as they aim to secure their spots in one of football's most prestigious finals.